Finding Blake and Carter
by Unco0rdinated
Summary: 16 year old Blake Stevens was happy. She had a great life with her single mom and twin sister Carter. Until one day their worlds come crashing down. Blake and Carter had been living with their abductor. Now they have to go live with their 'real' family, in a world they just don't seem to fit in. What will finding Blake and Carter mean for the Wilson's? Only time will tell.
1. Finding Blake and Carter

_"Everything was perfect. My mom was the best. I could tell her anything. But then I learned the truth and my whole life changed. My name is not my name. My home is not my home. My life is not my life. My mom is not my mom. She's my kidnapper."_


	2. Ride of Their Lives

"That was awful." Carter Stevens complained as she held the door open at the front of the movie theatre. Her mother Lori let out a laugh as her twin sister Blake made a noise of agreement. "Seriously next mother/daughter night we are going to see a Mystery, who doesn't love a good one of those? No more Rom-Coms." Blake declared as they headed down the sidewalk, "Alright Sherlock." Carter said with a laugh "What's wrong with a romantic comedy?" Lori questioned her daughters amused "What isn't?" the two scoffed causing Lori to let out a laugh. "Right. Well how about yogurt to make up for it?" Lori asked with a smile. The twins grinned happily as they took a right turn at the end of the street and the familar neon sign for Fro-YoCity caught their attention.

Inside the yogurt store Lori watched her twin daughters fill their cups. She smiled at how they got the same thing every single time, too stubborn to try anything new. She let out a laugh as Blake stuck her tongue out at Carter for making a comment on her choice of mint yogurt and that chocolate was the superior choice. The sisters grinned at each other as they watched the yogurt swirl into their cups. The two made their way to the topping island were Lori was waiting for them. "I just have to say it's starting to piss me off." Carter commented, as she shovelled gummi bears into her cup "What is?" Lori asked with a laugh looking over at her "How it's the same every time!" She exclaimed still frustrated from the movie they had just seen, as she passed the scoop to Blake to give her a chance to get her own gummi bears "Hello two people, wow, clearly they should be together but you're going to have to sit there for two hours, watching while they figure that out. The end." Blake added with a smirk that her sister returned "Nothing happens except the one thing we knew was going to happen." Carter concluded with a shrug "Because it's a romantic comedy, not Anna Karenina." Lori told the two amused "Great mom, now you've ruined Anna Karenina." Blake mock scolded causing her mother and sister to laugh "Guys," Lori started watching her daughters pile more gummi bears onto their yogurt "there's cookie dough, fruity pebbles, ooh, crushed Oreos." She exclaimed reaching to scoop some into her own cup "I can't believe I'm begging my children to eat crushed Oreos for dinner. I am the worst mother." she said as she set the scoop down "Mom, you know how we feel about gummi bears." Blake reminded her, licking her spoon clean and putting a napkin in the pocket of her leather jacket for later "I do, which is why I always said if we ever get separated, I'll meet you two by the nearest tub of gummi bears." Lori told her daughters who smiled at each other amused "Sadly, that is my idea of a safety tip." She added and the three chuckled. Just as they sat down at a table Carter's phone let out a beep signalling a text "Oh, it's Max." She announced after opening the message "I thought you two broke up." Lori mused "Yeah, we did, he's just too lazy to find someone else." Carter admitted as Blake smiled amused at the thought of her closest friend "So what is this, a booty call, hmm?" Lori questioned her eldest daughter causing Blake to snort "Mom!" Carter whined playfully "Yeah?" Lori said wiggling her eyebrows "No, he's just letting me know everyone's hanging out. Wanted to know if Blake and I would be there" She denied "And please never use the phrase "booty call" in front of us again." Blake begged with a laugh that the two joined in on "Go, be with your friends." Lori said causing the twins to look up from their yogurt "No, this is our night." Blake denied shaking her head "Oh, we saw a movie, we had dinner, I'm good." Lori assured "You sure?" Carter questioned "Yeah. You can see me any time." Their mother affirmed. Blake and Carter shared a look before nodding "Okay." They said in unison standing up "Oh, wait, here, take this." Lori said taking off her jacket for Carter who only had on a thin, purple jumper "Mom, I'm fine." Carter resisted "You might get cold. Please, let me just do one mom thing." Lori pleaded holding the jacket out "Fine." Carter gave in with a smile. The twins gave each other a look before turning to face their mother "We love you." They said softly "Love you more." Lori told them "Not possible." The two replied seriously "Yes, possible." Lori said with a shake of her head. The sisters breathed out a laugh, giving in as they always did. "Bye." They said giving their mom one last smile before turning around and walking away.

Blake and Carter made their way to the local park were they were meeting their friends. "Yo, parties here!" They heard followed by cheers and looked up to find their friends waiting outside the Merry-Go-Round. "Hey guys." Blake greeted with a grin as her and Carter shared high fives with the group. "So what do you guys want to do?" Max questioned with a lazy smile. Everyone shrugged as Blake looked around for inspiration, her eyes landing on the gate to the Merry-Go-Round enclosure. "Wanna go for a ride?" She questioned the group with a smirk, gesturing over with her head. The group followed her eye and frowned "It's locked." Max told her. Blake and Carter shared a look before turning back to the group, identical smirks on their faces as Carter retorted "Is it?"

The group giggled and chatted as they followed behind the twins to the gate. Blake pulled a bobby pin from her hair before handing it to Carter. "Where'd you guys learn how to do that?" Zoe questioned as the two knelt down with Max behind them and Carter reached her hand through the iron bars "What would we do without you two?" Zeke asked just as Carter got the lock undone. The twins grinned at each other "We want the fast one." The exclaimed in unison before pushing the gate open and running in. Blake made her way to the switch box as Carter jumped into a carriage "Dude, they're not moving." Max informed her "Oh, ye of little faith." Blake tsked teasingly before flipping the switch up. Her friends celebrated as the ride lit up. Max gave her a smile as she hopped on a horse before making his way nearer to Carter.

Carter laughed as her friends enjoyed themselves, smiling as she saw her sister throwing her arms up, head back in mirth. "You know, I get it." Max started gaining her attention as he leaned forward from his own carriage "We're broken up, but we're still friends." he added "Yeah, always." She assured, smiling at him as he leaned, arms crossed on her carriage "So all I'm saying is...let's add the benefits." Max suggested slowly, resting his chin on his arms with a cheeky smile. Carter chuckled looking down before looking back up "That's basically all we ever were." She reminded him "Carter, you're over thinking this." Max told her. She looked away in thought before looking back at him, the two slowly closing the gap between them. Just as their lips were about to touch everything went dark. The ride shut off as an alarm blared. "That's it, ride's over, you're coming with us." Everyone looked to see cops standing before them. The flashing lights coming from their cars behind. Blake made her way over to her sister and Max as the cops climbed aboard the Merry-Go-Round. "You heard him, let's go." One of the cops said as he and another man in uniform made their way over to the three teens "Oh, come on officers," Blake started looking at the two men, batting her long, black eyelashes "We're just kids having some harmless fun." Carter ended with a grin.

After getting their mugshots and fingerprints taken, the teenagers were lead into a holding cell. Blake and Carter shared an amused look as the cell door was shut and the officer walked away. "Look, don't worry, they're not gonna charge us." Blake assured as she turned round seeing the looks on her friends faces "They'll just let us off with a warning." Carter added smiling as the two sat on the bench with their friends mumbling their doubts. They all looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching "Next time this happens, you'll be talking to a judge." the same officer that locked them in stated "See, what did I tell you." Carter said smugly "Tonight, you just have to face your parents." The cop added opening the cell door "I'd prefer a judge." Max said standing up "Is that still an option?" He questioned stopping in front of the police officer "Move it." He ordered as the rest of the teens laughed and followed behind Max. "Not you two." The cop said stopping the twins at the door "Yours isn't here yet." He added. Blake and Carter shared a look before turning back to the man "You did call her, right?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow. The only answer she got was the officer closing the cell door and walking away. "Where is she?" Carter questioned in disbelief. Blake shrugged not knowing how to respond as the two sat back down in the bench, waiting.


	3. Their Names Are Not Their Names

Blake and Carter slept on the bench with their heads at either end, legs side by side as they waited in the cell. The outer cage being opened woke the two from their sleep. "Blake and Carter Stevens?" a dark skinned woman in a pant suit, name badge clipped at the front questioned as the sisters groggily sat up "And I was just getting comfortable." Carter quipped as the two made their way out of the cell.

The two followed the unknown woman to an empty conference room. Blake sat on the opposite side of table as Carter sat at the edge to her right. Once they were all comfortable, the woman passed the sisters a can of soda and a packet of chips each. "It's okay, I'm not hungry." Carter told her with a dismissive wave as Blake muttered a thank you and opened her can. "Um, we just wanna go home." Blake said after swallowing the drink "I'm sorry, girls, it's not that simple." The woman said sympathetically "Look, where's our mom, can we just get her in here?" Carter asked, fed up of the delay "Okay, right now, we're doing all we can to locate her." the woman told the two "What do you mean, is she okay?" Blake asked worried, drink forgotten as she and Carter shared a look. "Girls, I need you to listen to me. My name is Susan Sherman, I work with the children's protective services." Susan introduced herself "Hey, can you just skip to the part where our mom is missing." Carter asked annoyed as Blake threw her hands up in frustration at the woman in front if her "Your mother, she goes by the name of Lori Stevens?" Susan questioned "What does that mean, "goes by"?" Blake asked frowning "That's not her real name." Susan started causing the twins to share a baffled look. "Blake and Carter Stevens are not your real names." She added and the two scoffed "Well, it's our names, and they're real, so." Blake retorted, refusing the believe the woman "When you were three years old, you were both abducted from the front lawn of your home in Great Falls, Virginia. The woman you think is your mother is not your mother. She's your kidnapper." Susan broke it to the sisters softly. "That's crazy." Carter said as Blake grabbed her hand under the table shaking her head "No, stop talking, stop talking!" Blake pleaded as Carter pulled her up ready to leave "Please, please, please." The two begged as Susan held them back "Blake, Carter." She said trying to calm them down "We just wanna go home, okay?" Carter exclaimed crying "Okay." Susan answered still trying to help the two "We just wanna go se our mom." Blake told her tears trailing down her cheeks "All right, girls and you will. But it's gonna be to a different home. And a different mother." Susan explained, looking at the two crying girls who held on to each other like they were afraid the other would disappear.

The sisters had calmed down enough to sit back down. Blake had moved her chair to sit right beside Carter, the two wanting to be close together for the time being "Do the names Bella and Linden mean anything to you, Bella and Linden Wilson?" Susan questioned "No." The sisters croaked out, voices slightly horse from crying "That's your real names, Bella and Linden Wilson." Another woman with blonde hair informed them entering the room. "You're Bella," she started looking at Blake "and you're Linden." She finished with a look at Carter. "Look, I know the FBI is really good at being the FBI," Blake started blowing out a breath "but really there must've been some kind of computer glitch," Carter added shaking her head "or something got filed wrong." Blake finished grasping for any explanation, other than what they've been given "These are your mug shots from last night." Susan said taking photos out of a file in front of her. She slid the two photos in front the sisters. "Okay." They said not understanding why they were being shown "And this is you both a month before you were abducted." The other woman said softly setting two new pictures down in front of them. The sister examined the photos, both were similar. The background the same, it looked like one from a professional photographer. Both young girls wore their brown hair tied up with a ribbon. Carter was a dark blue and white, while Blake's was a red polka dot. While Carter wore a dark sweatshirt, Blake wore a white dress. Blake knew which one was meant to be her, from the blue eyes. "I've never seen these pictures before." Blake said, a tear escaping her as her sister nodded in agreement "Okay, that might not even be us." Carter exclaimed gesturing to the photos "It's you, the ears are the same." The blonde said pushing the photos closer "They're ears, they look like every other ear." Blake argued "Actually, ears are as distinct and unique as dental records, which we also have." the woman retorted opening her file "And fingerprints." She added lifting two sheets of paper "These were taken last night." She said setting one in front of each sister "And these were lifted from your toys after you disappeared 13 years ago." She concluded setting another sheet in front them. The sister looked at the matching prints in a state of shock "Our mom would never do this." Carter exclaimed crying, squeezing Blake's hand after her younger sister had grabbed it "People abduct children for all kinds of reasons." Susan argued softly "Stop talking about her. She's an amazing person." Blake exclaimed shaking her head, sniffling "And even if what you're saying is true, we wouldn't care, we would-" Carter trailed off sniffling herself "We would still wanna live with her." Blake finished for Cater as they looked at the pair of women "You understand that can't happen." The blonde stressed, clasping her hands together on the table "Your real parents are here. And they're very anxious to see you." Susan told the sister, looking between them "Now?" Blake questioned with a gasp sharing a scared look with Carter as there was a knock on the door "No, we're not ready." Carter said as she and Blake stood, clutching each others hands while backing up against the wall as Susan opened the door "Girls." Another blonde woman exclaimed rushing in with a man right behind her. "Linden." She murmured looking at Carter before turning to Blake. "Bella." She almost whispered looking at her blue eyes "You're both so beautiful." She whispered as she stroked one of their cheeks. The sisters looked at each tier uncomfortable " Do you remember me at all?" Their mother questioned, green eyes desperately searching for a spark of recognition "No, I'm sorry." Blake answered sadly for the two as Carter squeezed her hand tighter "Lizzie, they need time. We all do." The spoke up "I'm your dad." He added and the two nodded "Yeah, we figured." Carter told him as the sister gave a twitch of smile "Do do you remember your sister, you're triplets...do you remember Taylor?" Elizabeth, their mother questioned "We have another sister?" Blake asked sniffling as she and Carter shared a shocked look "We didn't think we had any other family." Carter added in disbelief "Is that what she told you, the monster that stole you from us?" Elizabeth questioned angrily "She wasn't a monster!" The sisters exclaimed defensively "She took you both. She brainwashed you when you were only three years old." Elizabeth argued, her eyes swimming with tears "Do we know who she was?" Their father questioned, looking over his shoulder to the two women "Does she look familiar? She goes by the name Lori Stevens." The blonde questioned handing the parents a photo "Can you please stop saying "goes by"?" Blake pleaded desperately "Oh, my God, David. Oh, my God." Elizabeth exclaimed wide eyed as the two examined the photo. David turned back to face the two women "We know her."

After giving statements and filling out paperwork, the sisters were on their way "home" with David and Elizabeth. The two were silent in the back seat, each thinking if their mother and how happy the three where. "That's impossible, she must be in the system." Elizabeth complained into her phone, breaking them from their thoughts "When her one and only crime was stealing my child, I don't think so." She continued as the sisters shared a look "Sounds like a cop." Blake commented quietly shooting a look at the blonde woman in the seat in front of her "She is a cop sorry, detective." David informed his daughters, glancing back at them from his position in the drivers seat "And make sure everyone has her pictures. TSA, train, bus, car rental agents. And put out there's a reward. $10,000." She instructed as David looked at her wide eyed "Who's paying that reward, are we paying that reward?" He questioned frantically "I want this woman caught, isn't that what you want?" Elizabeth retorted not putting the phone down "You know I do." David said strongly "Anyone care what we want?" Carter questioned "Of course." David answered looking at them threw the rear view mirror "Okay, let me call you back." Elizabeth said, finally hanging up "So our mom. She was your friend?" Blake asked what had been in the sisters minds "More like acquaintances. She did in-home hospice care. One of them lived on our street." David told the two "She told us her name was Janet. Why can't I remember her last name?" Elizabeth added, questioning herself "She said we were such a beautiful family. I thought she was being sweet." David continued "You know what else she said? It's a shame you can't spend more time with your girls. She was monitoring my work hours." Elizabeth said looking over at her husband "You didn't spend time with us?" Carter questioned in disbelief as she and Blake gave her an identical look "Linden, your mom had to work. She was helping to support the family." David defended his wife as she turned to face her daughters "No, but you're right. I'm gonna do it all differently this time, Linden, Bella." She promised "Well, you could start by calling me Carter." Said girl retorted "I'd like to be called Blake." The blue eyes girl requested "I don't know if I can do that." Elizabeth said quietly, turning back to face the front "You have to understand, those names remind us of the worst part of our lives." David argued with the girls, trying to get them to realise how they felt "Can you understand, that we just had our entire lives ripped from under us. And our names is all we have left." Blake pleaded. The couple shared a look before Elizabeth turned to look at her daughter once again "If that's what you want. We'll call you Blake and Carter." She assured with a tight smile "Thanks, you're a peach." Carter retorted sarcastically "Oh, no." David complained getting everyone's attention "What's going on?" Blake questioned, leaning over Carter to see out the window. There was chatter as a large group of reporters and cameras gathered outside the Wilson family home. "Oh you let this go out on the police scanner?" David asked in disbelief as he drive closer to the house "No, because I didn't want this to happen." Elizabeth denied as they pulled up "Guys, please, step aside, let 'em out. Step aside, step aside, ma'am, ma'am, step aside." A man requested making his way threw the crowd to the family car "Toby, you did this?" David questioned the man as he climbed out of the car "Don't worry, this is all under control." Toby reassured "Get out of the way. Give us some room. Get back." Elizabeth ordered the crowd making her way to her daughters. Carter and Bella squeezed each other's hand before taking a deep breath as Carter opened the car door. "Linden, Bella! Oh, my God, it is such an honor to meet you. Namaste." Toby greeted after Bella had climbed out after her sister and they stood in front of him "Hi, I'm your dad's literary agent, I'm Toby De Moray." He introduced grinning at the two "Not now, Toby." Elizabeth scolded leading her daughters forward towards the house. "Give us some space, please." David requested through the overlapping chatter of the crowd.

"Okay, how about a quick photo op? Maybe later." Toby was heard as David slammed the door close after the family where successfully inside. Blake and Carter looked at each other before noticing an elderly couple "Bella, Linden." The man said with a grin, making his way to the sisters "Buddy, Joan, please, back off, they're not ready." David told them "The hell with that." Buddy said before pulling them into a group hug. The sisters where stiff as he held onto them. Something clicked in their memories "Papa." The murmured in sync, looking at each other with tears I their eyes as they lifted their arms to return the hug as warmth enveloped them "Welcome home, baby girls" Buddy said warmly as he pulled back to look at them "Come here, please!" Joan pleaded jumping up and down impatiently from behind Buddy "Oh, you remember your grandma Joan, huh?" He said leading them to his wife who stood in the living room "Oh, well, you will as soon as you taste a bowl of my Mac and Cheese." Joan assured as she took in their blank looks "I'll make it extra gooey just like you always liked it." She added as Elizabeth's phoned beeped "Elizabeth, would you put that phone down?" Buddy questioned annoyed "She's trying to catch the kidnapper." Joan defended her daughter "All right, all right." Buddy gave in. There was a silence as Blake nudged Carter and gestured to the two other children who had risen fro the sofa. They all looked at each other, taking in every detail they could "Hi." Blake and Carter said in sync with a small wave "Hi." The blonde teen girl responded with a smile "Uh, so Taylor and..." Blake trailed off realising she didn't know who the younger boy was "Do we have a brother?" Carter questioned as the two turned to look at David "Oh, they didn't mention me." The boy said crossing his arms across his chest "I couldn't be less shocked." He added sarcastically "Grant, this has been an emotionally chaotic day. Could you keep the sarcasm to a minimum?" David questioned frustrated and Grant raised his hands in defence "So obviously, you were born after ..." Blake stated "Yes, I'm the replacement child." Her brother answered bluntly causing Blake to snort out a laugh as Carter chuckled "Grant." David warned "You said to a minimum. I think that entitles me to one line." Grant defended himself amusing everyone I the room. Blake and Carter were relieved at least one person in their "family" had a sense of humour they could relate to. The triplets all looked at each other "Do you remember?" Carter questioned "Not really." Taylor admitted with a sad smile as she looked at her sisters "We used to call you little Linden," Buddy said pointing at Carter, "tiny Taylor." He continued pitting over at Taylor before turning back to Blake "and you were the youngest, baby Bella." He finished "What are we gonna call you now?" He asked with a laugh "Carter." The older of the lost daughters stated, gaining everyone's attention, including Elizabeth's who peaked up from her phone "What?" Buddy questioned "She would like to be called Carter and I would like to be called Blake." The younger explained and Joan shook her head "Oh, I don't think so-" she was interrupted "Mom, it's decided." Elizabeth stepped in sternly "I have an opinion." Joan retorted turning to glance at her husband "All right." He said grabbing her shoulder in reassurance. Everyone looked over as Toby entered the room "Back door was open." He explained how he got in "I need you, two seconds, two seconds? I promise." He said to David before leading him into the hall. "So he writes books." Blake stated after watching him leave "He's only had one published." Joan dismissed "Well, but Joan, it was a bestseller." Buddy defended his son-in-law "Do they know what it's about?" Joan asked quietly turning to her daughter "Uh, no?" Carter said as the sisters looked at Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow "It's about you." Grant informed them "What about us?" Blake questioned as she and a carter frowned "It's called 'Losing Bella and Linden'." Elizabeth admitted taking a step closer to them as they scoffed quietly "Well, I guess we should read it." Blake said with a sarcastic smile "Right after we finish 'Anna Karenina'." Carter added, equally as sarcastic "Are you reading 'Anna Karenina'?" Elizabeth asked her daughters impressed. The sisters shared a sad look before turning to face the blonde "No." They told her, shaking their heads wishing they were with Lori.

"David, what a godsend." Toby stated as he and David stopped at the end of the hall "I never thought this day would come." David breathed out looking apt onwards the living room "Me neither." Toby admitted pulling out his phone "You should hear who's on my voice-mail. Publishers, producers, Brad Pitt's development person." Toby gushed "My daughters are alive. They're home. That's the day I was referring to." David told him, swinging his head to look at him "Obviously obviously. But you are looking at a potential huge payday. And that could resolve your current financial crisis." Toby tried to convince him "Do we have to discuss this now? We haven't even been home for ten minutes." David complained frustrated "It's my job to be insensitive. You have a $500,000 book advance that has to be repaid. There's always foreclosure. I mean, you could tell Elizabeth, which-" he rambled "I still haven't." David interrupted "Or...you don't have to now because your solution just walked through that door. That's your sequel, ''Finding Bella and Linden'." He proposed "Blake and Carter." David stated "Huh?" Toby questioned "That's their names now." David replied "It can't be Bella and Linden? Oh, God, it was so simple. Okay, on the other hand, I like the twist. You lose two children, but you find strangers. 'Finding Blake and Carter', that works, okay, start taking notes." Toby instructed, patting David's chest before walking away.


	4. Their Friends Are Not Their Friends

It wasn't long before Blake and Carter had retreated to the spare bedroom. After a restless night, the sisters sat silently at the edge of their shared bed. The two smiled fondly as they thought back on many happy times with Lori as they admired the photo Blake held in her hand of the three while Carter squeezed her mothers jacket, tight in her grasp. A knock broke the sisters out if their thoughts. "Bel- Blake, Carter, can I come in?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yeah. Just a sec." Blake responded, moving to hide the photo

"Okay, come in." Carter instructed once her sister had sat back down.

"Hey." Elizabeth said softly entering the room holding as tray. "Believe it or not, I gave this a lot of thought. Your grandmother's out there making waffles and omelets. But I didn't even know what you guys lked, and I, I don't know if you eat breakfast. You both don't seem like the Breakfast in bed type. I didn't wanna subject you to another family onslaught. Those are tough for me, and I know these people."

The sisters chuckled softly "That's fine, thank you." Blake responded for the two, giving a small smile.

Elizabeth smiled in relief "Great. Okay." She said placing the tray down on the chest of drawers across the room. "I'm sorry you're both stuck in this room for now... we're going to clear out the attic and make it another bedroom. You can decided who gets which and we can decorate them both however you guys like." Elizabeth told the two.

Carter nodded softly while Blake mumbled a small thank you, shooting the blonde a thankful smile.

Elizabeth smiled once again at the two "I was thinking that maybe you guys and Taylor could take the car, and she could show you around town and maybe introduce you to some of her friends?"

The sisters shared a look "Or, uh, we could just go see the ones we already have?" Carter retorted.

Elizabeth nodded, absorbing amber daughters words "Back where you..." she trailed off.

"Yeah. Back where we know people." Blake answered with a small huff of laughter.

"What is that, a two-hour drive? Sure, I can drive you." Elizabeth told the two.

Carter scoffed "We're 16, we don't need our mommy to take us on play dates."

"You don't expect me to just give you my car." Elizabeth said in disbelief.

Blake raised an eyebrow "Isn't that what you just offered a minute ago?"

Elizabeth shook her head "No, I said you guys _and Taylor_."

"In other words, someone else has to be in the car with us." Blake muttered, playing with the edges of her shirt.

Carter rubbed her sister back before the two looked up at their birth mother blankly. Elizabeth sighed before taking a seat on the bed beside Carter "Listen I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this relationship work. But I need to know that you want it too."

"It would help a lot if we believed you trusted us." Carter answered, knowing her sister felt the same.

Blake sighed happily as she sat in the drivers seat. She glanced over to make sure Carter was buckled in. Once the belt clicked into place, Carter shot her younger sister a smirk that Blake eagerly returned. It was time.

The car tyres screeched loudly as Blake swiftly reversed out of the driveway, spinning the car with a reckless swerve before abruptly stopping, causing the two to jolt forward. The sisters laughed before Blake rolled down her window "That was a joke!" She assured the horrified parents who watched the scene.

"Good one." David retorted nervously.

Blake continued to grin while her sister chuckled beside her "I'm actually a very safe driver." She added.

"We're not worried." Elizabeth called with a nervous laugh while their father waved as they drove off.

After what was meant to be a two hour drive took an extra twenty minutes so the two could get a burger each from a passing McDonald's drive thru, they finally met up Max with in the park.

"The owners closed it for the rest of the season?" Carter questioned with a frown as the three looked up at the shutter covering the merry-go-round.

"Not because of us?" Blake questioned hopefully, turning her head to look up at Max.

"No, some four-year-old found a little joint on one of the bench thingies." He denied.

The sisters sighed amused "So because of us." They retorted, looking up at him with a smirk.

Max looked between the two sisters before nodding "Well...yeah." The two scoffed as they shook their heads before heading over to a near by bench.

"Zoe's not even answering my texts." Blake complained as the three sat down.

"Guys had to work today." Max told the two from his spot in the middle.

"Really?" Carter questioned, giving Max a knowing look.

Max sighed in defeat "No." He admitted.

Blake frowned while Carter shrugged "I don't get it, I thought they'd wanna see us." Carter replied.

"Guys, you gotta understand...People are a little freaked out." Max defend their friends.

The sisters scoffed bitterly before Blake opened her mouth "Let me tell you about freaked out. So not only is our mom not our mom. Our name's are not even our name's and apparently...Apparently, our friends are not really our friends." she ranted, letting some of her bottled up frustrations out. Carter grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

Max gave the pair a sympathetic smile before tugging softly at Blake hair in one hand while he tugged the string on Carter's hood with the other "For what it's worth, you got me." He promised.

The sisters sent him a genuine smile "Thank you." They replied in unison.

"And I-" he started as he put hand into his pocket "-got this." He fished pulling out a joint.

Blake shook her head with a smirk while Carter smiled "Oh, thank God."

"So your people, these people, your family? You like 'em?" Max asked glancing up at the sisters as he used his lighter.

Carter shook her head "I don't know, it's weird."

"They're total strangers, right? But oh, when the grandfather hugged us, it was like this spot in our brains just went halogen." Blake added letting out a smile while Carter nodded giving her own smile at the memory.  
Max grinned "That's that's like a, a Bourne Identity"... That's a thing." He gushed causing the two to laugh "You guys might be assassins." He added causing Blake to snort.

"Max, we were abducted when we were three." Carter retorted raising her eyebrows.

"So you're probably not assassins." He admitted reluctantly.

Blake grinned as she shook her head "No sweetie." She said patting his arm.

Carter chuckled as she passed Blake the joint "Oh! And we have a sister." Carter started sitting up straighter.

"Carter and I aren't twins... We're triplets!" Blake added still in shock about that revelation.

Carter nodded to her sisters addition "A triplet sister who we don't remember at all." She continued.

"But who we feel like we know really well." Blake added, blowing out a puff of smoke.

"I don't know, yeah, I guess I could get to like them eventually." Carter admitted as she took the joint back.

"We have little brother, he seems cool. Got a wicked sense of humour." Blake told Max, who smiled when he saw the fond smile that broke out onto her face.

Carter groaned "Urgh, except mom, I hate the mom, she is the human equivalent of nails on a chalkboard." She complained shaking her head frustrated.

The three sat and talked contentedly as they finished the joint "This isn't good-bye." Max said looking between the two girls.

Blake and Carter shook their heads "No, never." The denied in sync causing the three to smile at each other before both sisters rested their heads against Max's chest as he wrapped his arms around them, pulling them tighter.

The three sat content for a moment while Max glanced around the park "That's Mondo Creepy." He exclaimed braking the silence.  
"What?" The sisters questioned, sitting upright, craning their necks to see where the boy was looking.

"Some guy over there," he started as he pointed to a silver car "is watching us in his side view mirror." the three watched the car for the bench "Hey." Max waved at the vehicle amused.

"Hey! Hey! I can see you!" Carter shouted as the three made their way towards the car. They watched as it roared to life and quickly drove away.

"G-J-5-9-3-5. Our mom's a cop, we'll find you!" Blake shouted after the driver as they watched the car drive away?

"Your mom's a cop? You probably shouldn't have had that weed." Max commented amused making the two smile.

"No, it's okay. Our other mom's a felon. She's the one we take after." Carter retorted.

Blake and Carter returned to the house to find Taylor washing up in the kitchen "Well, it's official. You're the good daughter." Blake commented with a small laugh, alerting their sister of their arrival.

Taylor smiled "You guys hungry? Mom made you both a plate."

"A cop who cooks. She really can do it all, huh?" Carter retorted.

"Actually, I made that." Taylor corrected "I do most of the cooking around here. Every so often, Grant makes a soup."

"What, we don't eat those?" Blake asked amused before taking a bite.

"One had a dollar bill floating in it, so, no." Taylor replied with a soft smirk.

"This is fantastic." Blake moaned, swallowing while Carter nodded in agreement.

Taylor smiled at her sisters "Thanks."

"Actually, um, we like to bake." Carter admitted while Blake smiled softly at the prospect of having something in common with their triplet.

"Yeah?" Taylor asked interested.

"We're big fans of dessert." Blake confirmed taking another bite.

"Some nights it's all I eat. I say I'm going to dinner, and I meet my friend Gabe at this yogurt place." Taylor told the two, who perked up at the mention of yogurt.

"Self-serve, all different kinds of toppings?" Blake asked after sharing an excited look with a Carter.

"Uh-huh." Taylor hummed in confirmation.

"Oh, my God, can we go?" Carter asked, excitedly.

"As soon as you're done." Taylor promised, drying a cup.

"We're done." The two restricted immediately making the blonde smile amused.

"I'll just tell my mom, uh, our mom...mom." Taylor rambled sheepishly making two smile at her reassuringly.

"It's fine, you can have her." Carter retorted playfully.

"Hey." Elizabeth greeted as their parents walked into the kitchen.

"You're back." David commented, seeing the two.

"According to the FBI, this is where we live now." Blake joked making the room let out small smiles.

"Was it fun to see your friends?" Elizabeth questioned, leaning against the counter.

"Yeah, loads of fun. We even made a new one." Carter answered, sharing a look with Blake.

"Guy in a silver Subaru who sat in his car all day watching us." Blake added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked over at her mother.

Taylor gasped "Oh, my God. I hope you got his license."

Carter smirked "Of course, Sherlock over here was on the case." She retorted, gesturing to Blake who pulled out a piece of paper she had written the number down on, waving it in the air with a smug grin. David couldn't help but smile at the action.

"You can find him, right?" Blake questioned eyes hopeful as she handed the paper to Elizabeth.

"Or, uh...Maybe you already know who he is." Carter commented suspiciously when Elizabeth didn't answer her sister.

"How would I possibly?" Elizabeth questioned as she looked over the piece of paper.

"Well, you were nervous. We took your car..." Blake added as she thought, now that Carter mentioned it, it made sense.

"Maybe you had us followed?" Carter finished, raising an eyebrow at the elder woman.

"No, she she would never." Taylor denied before turning to look at her mother "Would you?"

"Of course not." Elizabeth denied, looking at her only blonde child "You said that you needed me to trust you and I did, I do." She promised looking between the brunette daughters.

The two nodded "Okay, well, uh let us know if you find anything please?" Blake requested.

"Absolutely, I'll look into this." Elizabeth confirmed, nodding her head.

"Blake and Carter want yogurt." Taylor told their parents, changing the subject.

David's face lit up "Great. Go, have fun." He instructed as he and Elizabeth smiled at the three before they headed out the back door.


	5. Party Trick's and Truth's

Blake and Carter shared a grin as they approached the yogurt shop, Blake noticed as Carter suddenly froze. She followed her eye line and suddenly understood. Sitting at a table outside was a young brunette women, laughing as she looked between two teen girls, their yogurts piled high with Gummi Bears. The scene sucked Blake into last memories she shared shopping and going for fro-yo with her mother and sister.

"Do you guys know what you want?" Taylor suddenly questioned, successfully knocking her sisters out if their trances.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I do." Carter answered after a moment while Blake nodded.

"We'll meet you inside." Blake promised, gently pushing Taylor towards the door before turning to Carter "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Carter smirked in answer grabbing her sisters hand and pulling her towards an employee "Excuse me, hi."she started tapping the guy in the shoulder "Um Who do we talk to about getting jobs here?" Carter asked as she and Blake took a free sample from his tray.

"That'd be me." The guy answered with a smile.

The sister smiled "Listen, Zubin." Carter started flirtatiously "You want us to work here." She added.

Blake nodded "Trust us, it is the opportunity of a lifetime." She promised.

Zubin looked down at the two curiously "Really?"

"Um-hmm." The sister hummed in sync, nodding their heads.

"What's so great about you two?" He questioned making the two share a smirk.

"We it to be a surprise when we show up for work tomorrow." Blake smiled up at him.

"2 O'clock sound good?" Carter questioned.

Zubin squinted his eyes as he smiled confused "I guess?"

Blake and Carter shared a victorious look before turning back to the man "We'll uh, see you then, Zubin." Carter smirked just as Taylor returned with an unfamiliar boy.

Taylor turned to her sisters "This is my friend Gabe." She started gesturing to the boy before turning to Gabe "This is Carter and Blake, my long lost sisters."

"Hi." Carter grinned whilst Blake waved with a smile.

"So welcome home, I guess." He said, smiling as he looked between the two.

"Yeah, thanks." They retorted in sync, breathing out a breathe of laughter.

"It's been kind of an abrupt transition. They didn't know until yesterday that they'd been kidnapped, and they doesn't remember any of us." Taylor revealed.

Gabe went wide eyed "Holy crap, you guys must be majorly freaked out."

Blake scoffed quietly "Yeah, it's like we're living some Lifetime tv drama."

"And to be honest, we're trying not to think about how freaked out we are." Carter added.

It was silent for a moment as Gabe finished a spoonful of yogurt "Hey, there's a party. Would it help to go to a party?" He questioned looking between the girls.

Blake and Carter shared a grin "Yeah." Carter nodded.

"Party pretty much solves anything." Blake shrugged with a laugh, taking a lick from her free yogurt.

Carter turned to Taylor "At least for a couple hours, right?"

Taylor shrugged "I don't know, I've never been to one."

"You've never been to a party?" Carter asked the two stared at their sister in shock.

Taylor shook her head "Not that didn't have a goody bag."

The other three shared a laugh "So cute." Blake said teasingly, as she pinched Taylor's cheek. The blonde chuckled as she swatted away her you gets sisters hand.

"Wow, so glad I did not grow up here." Carter grimaced, sucking in a breath.

Gabe nodded his head towards his car "Let's go."

* * *

The party was in full swing when the quartet arrived. Heading straight for the kitchen, Blake and Carter poured themselves a drink.

After a while of drinking and dancing, the sisters headed to the kitchen once again. Feeling buzzed they decided to show off their party trick to the group already inside.

Surrounded at the island, the sisters looked around at he drunken faces. "It's not that hard!" Carter called out laughing. "The secret is..." Carter started as she lifted a lighter and set the two shot glasses that sat in front of them, filled with vodka on fire.

"Don't hesitate." Blake finished with a smirk as she and Carter each placed a palm over a shot glass, extinguishing the flames. Everyone held their breath as they watched the twins raise their hands, shot glasses still attached before breaking out in to cheers.

"How did you guys do that?" A guy asked in awe as the crowd quieted down once again to hear the answer.

"Well, as a wise man once said," Blake started before sharing a smirk with her sister.

"science, yo." They answered in sync causing the crowd to cheer again before they all broke into laughter.

* * *

"What are you drinking?" Taylor asked Gabe over the noise of the crowd.

"I don't know, something lethal." He replied, glancing down at her.

"Can I try it?" She asked hopefully and smiled as he handed the red paper cup over and taking a sip "Hmm, I can't taste the alcohol."

Gabe smirked "That's what makes it lethal."

"Okay, who's next?" Carter asked looking around the crowd as she and Blake poured shots for people to try their fire trick.

Taylor tried literaly letting her hair down to get Gabe to notice her. When he didn't even flinch she sighed "This is fun." Taylor commented sarcastically.

"What is?" Gabe asked, not realising how she meant as he never took his eyes off the brunette sisters.

"Me watching you stare at my sisters."

"Sorry, really? You can't blame me for being intrigued." He defended himself.

"Being abducted has its rewards." Taylor commented.

Gabe looked interested "They tell you what it was like?"

Taylor gave him a blank look "They lived in a two-bedroom apartment in York, Pennsylvania. They weren't sold into child slavery."

Gabe scoffed "Well, you're happy they're back, right?"

Taylor paused "Yeah, of course I'm happy." She answered honestly before glancing over at her partying sisters "I don't know how happy they are, though."

Gabe shrugged "They look pretty happy."

Taylor smiled sarcastically "Gabe, as you can probably tell. Because you can't keep your eyes off of them. My sisters were having a totally fun and awesome life were they got to drink and smoke and probably be complete sluts. While I've never done anything remotely fun or awesome because I lived in constant fear of the terrible thing that happened to my sisters...Except it didn't." She laughed bitterly before grabbing Gabe's drink.

Gabe gaped as he watched Taylor down it "Whoa, slow down...Taylor." He said before she passed him back the empty cup "What are you doing?" He questioned incredulously as he watched her grab two Jell-O shots as they passed by on a tray.

Taylor downed the first shot "I'm making up for lost time." She told, mouth filled with Jell-O before swigging the other into her a mouth and making her way towards her sister who cheered when they seen her.

* * *

Gabe was taking the girls home. Carter called shotgun whilst Blake was stuck in the back with a passed out Taylor lying with her head on her lap "I don't believe you." Carter said as she and Blake laughed.

'It's true!" Gabe retorted.

Blake shook her head, sharing a grin with Carter "Mean girls is not your favorite movie."

"All you - Sucka MC's ain't got nothin' on me-" Gabe started rapping making the two laugh.

"Oh, my God." Carter mumbled, face palming whilst Blake snorted.

"From my grades to my lines, you can't touch Kevin G." Gabe continued unphased.

"I'm a mathlete," the sisters joined in making him grin.

"so nerd is inferred. But forget what you heard, I'm like James Bond the third." the three finished before breaking into laughter.

"Okay, but that's a secret. I use "bad grandpa" as my cover." Gabe admitted.

"Oh, really?" Carter questioned, smirking,

"Okay, we won't tell anyone." Blake promised, chuckling.

Gabe smiled between the two "You're guys are very cool."

"Thanks." Blake smiled.

"So are you." Carter told him.

"Sorry it's been so rough for you." Gabe said softly.

"Oh." The sisters breathed out, sharing a look.

"At least you guys made one new friend." He added, trying to cheer them back up.

"Yeah. You know what? You're actually our first one here." Carter admitted, as Blake nodded when he looked back at her.

He grinned "Wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No, not at all." Carter replied. Blake squinted suspiciously as it went silent. Her eyebrows shot up as she saw Gabe lean in to kiss her sister.

Swiftly turning her head away, not wanting to see. She frowned knowing Taylor would be hurt if she found out so she started running her fingers through the blondes hair.

"Gabe." She heard Carter say causing her to look back up.

"Sorry." The boy said pulling back.

"No, uh..." Carter sighed.

Gabe nodded "Too fast, don't worry, we can take this a lot slower."

"No. We can't take it at all." Carter retorted making the boy frown "I'm sorry, I just I can't do that to Taylor."

"Do what to Taylor?" Gabe questioned.

"Seriously?" Blake spoke up, making the two jump "Yeah. Hi, still here." She added with a sarcastic wave.

The two sent her sheepish looks before Carter turned back to Gabe "I know you're not dumb."

"Let's pretend I am." He retorted.

"Oh I don't need to pretend." Blake mumbled to herself.

"Taylor likes you." Carter revealed and Blake bit her lip. She hoped Taylor didn't find out.

Gabe nodded "Yeah, we're friends since, like, the second grade." Gabe started and Blake face palmed at the boys cluelessness "She's like my sister."

A sudden locking in the car window made the three awake teenagers jump before a bright light shined into the car "Oh, what the hell?" Carter complained, closing her eyes as she rolled down the window.

Blake squinted, seeing Elizabeth standing, torch in hand with David behind her "This isn't a coal mine, could you turn that off?" She whined, leaning forward to see out the window, shielding her eyes with a hand.

"Gabe, is that you?" Elizabeth questioned the driver.

"Hi Mrs. Wilson...Mr. Wilson." He waved.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? Where's Taylor?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Chill, she's there." Carter waved her off, gesturing to the backseat.

Elizabeth was quick to look in and see the blonde sprawled across Blake's lap "David, oh, my God."

David opened the door "It's okay, she's just drunk." He assured his wife.

"And she may have had a pot brownie...or two." Blake mumbled sheepishly.

"Oh, Tay-Tay, sweetie, let me get you inside, come on." He said, lifting her out with the help of Blake "Oh, can you stand up?" He questioned looking down at his blonde daughter "I'll get her inside." He told his wife "Night, Gabe."

"Good-bye, Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson." He replied.

"Thanks for the party and the ride." Blake said dragging herself out of the car.

Gabe smiled "No problem, night Blake."

She waved as she closed the door, following after her parents. She silently passed Elizabeth as she stood, arms folded waiting for Carter.

* * *

Blake sighed as she headed up stairs, pausing as she noticed Grant sitting below the window in his bedroom.

"Hey kiddo." She greeted, entering his room and ruffling his hair as she took a seat beside him.

Grant smiled as he pushed her hand away "I can't believe Taylor got drunk." He laughed.

Blake smiled "She had fun."

"Things are going to be so different around here now that you and Carter are back." He commented.

Blake stayed silent for a moment as she looked at him "Is that a bad thing?"

Grant turned his head to look at her "No... I think it's just what was needed."

Blake grinned as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders "You know, having you as a brother ain't half bad." She teased.

" _Obviously, I'm happy for you three to get along. But I'd prefer if you and Blake didn't pass on your bad habits to Taylor_." They heard Elizabeth say from outside making Blake frown. Grant grabbed her hand as he noticed her face. She was shocked for a moment, not used to having sibling but Carter there, before giving it a squeeze and sending him a small smile.

" _Our bad habits? So there are already things about us that you don't like? What are the_ y?" Carter questioned.

Elizabeth let out a sigh " _What I meant to say was that_ -"

" _Just name one or, I don't know, you could name something about us that you do like."_ Carter interrupted _"Name anything that you know about us at all_."

" _I am trying to get to know you both, but you're doing everything you can to avoid me_!" Elizabeth defended.

Carter scoffed " _That's because you're stiff, you're humorless, you're a control freak. You operate from this place of fear. You know... Our mom used to tell us every day that she loved us. And I haven't heard you say it once. Not to any member of your family_." She ranted before opening the front door. Blake and Grant sat in silence as they heard the front door slam close and footsteps make their way up the stairs. Carter froze as she saw her two siblings "Please tell me you guys didn't hear that?"

"I hear everything. That's one advantage to people not remembering you exist." Grant admitted making Blake squeeze his hand again. He sent her a small grin.

Carter smiled at the twos actions "So I'm not wrong? That woman has the personality of a refrigerator."

Grant smiled "She's not the hallmark commercial, for sure, but it's because of us."

Blake frowned "What did we do?"

Grant shook his head "Nothing on purpose. You guys were kidnapped, I was born ten weeks premature."

"What?" Blake gasped.

Grant smiled "Yeah. I was, like, this big. Doctor said ten-to-one I wouldn't make it. Mom-"

"Elizabeth, please, I am not on board with mom." Carter interrupted.

Grant nodded in understanding "She kind of cracked. All she wanted was to hold a baby, but instead it looked like she was about to have another dead kid on her hands...Which, sorry, everyone thought you two were."

"Yeah, that that would be rough." Carter admitted whilst Blake pulled her knees to her chest.

"But I think it'll help having you back... Maybe." He shrugged with a small grin.

Carter shook her head "I would not hold my breath."

Grant nodded "I know... Although, I can hold my breath for a really long time. Almost five minutes." He admitted looking at his two sisters.

Blake smirked "You need to get out more kiddo."

"Hmm, yeah, no kidding." Grant agreed before the three burst into laughter.

* * *

It was Blake and Carter's first day at work. Zubin grinned happily as his shop was packed as people tried to get a closer look at the kidnapped victims. Cameras flashing as they lined up for pictures with the two sisters.

"Excuse me, hey, we're family, excuse me." David exclaimed, pushing through the crowd with Grant.

"Who's next?" Blake questioned with a smile, adjusting her work visor.

"Oh, me!" A girl stepped forward, standing between the sisters as she held out her phone in front of them for a selfie.

"Duck lips?" Carter suggested before the three were posing.

"They're so cool, don't you think?" Grant gushed, as he and his dad watched the two in awe,

David nodded "Yes, they are."

"So, feel free to put us on instagram, tweet about us." Blake chirped to the crowd.

Carter nodded "Facebook, if anyone still looks at that."

David quickly stepped forward "What about me, can I get a picture with you?" He asked with a grin, holding up his cellphone.

The sisters smiled "Hell, yeah." The answered, wrapping their arms around him.

"Hey, you can make that the cover of your next book." Blake joked once they pulled away.

Davids brows furrowed "I thought you didn't want me to write about you."

The sister shared a look "We don't...The J-K was silent." Carter told him.

"Next time it won't be." Blake mumbled with a small smile.

"Give me a chance. I'm slow, but eventually I do catch on." David smiled between the two.

"Don't forget to say where they work." Zubin called out to the crowd as David made his way back over to Grant.

"That's right, we want people to know exactly where to find us." Carter exclaimed, grinning over at her sister.

"Oh, crap, I know what they're doing." Grant gasped watching his sisters.

"What are they doing?" David questioned confused.

"They're sending a message to their mom. The other one, the kidnapper? They're telling her to meet them here." Grant revealed.

David paled "I'm calling your mom." He pulled out his phone before glancing down at his son "We need to pay more attention to you."

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Grant admitted.

* * *

The shop wasn't as busy the next day and Blake and Carter actually had to work. Gabe was sitting in the yogurt shop at a table by the window as he waited for Taylor. "Whoa, look at you. Yeah, that works." He complimented as she took her seat, dressed nicely.

"Thanks." She smiled, blushing.

"Glad to see you recovered from the other night."

"Yeah, boy, drinking? Not as easy as it looks." Taylor laughed.

"I feel bad I've never taken you to a party before, I just figured it wasn't your kind of thing."

Taylor shrugged "Me too, but it is. Can we go to more?"

Gabe smiled "Absolutely...Carter too, right?"

"Of course...But Carter, Blake and I are not like the Golden Trio... I mean, we have our own lives." Taylor retorted.

" I just...would like to get to know her better... Blake too."

"Yeah. Sure... Um, you wanna go out with Carter?" Taylor frowned.

Gabe grinned "If you're okay with that."

Taylor scoffed "Why- why wouldn't I be, we're just friends."

"Right, that's what I said." Gabe nodded.

Taylor frowned, sitting forward "Wait you said that to who?"

"Carter. She thinks you like me. I told her you're like my sister." Gabe answered nonchalantly.

Taylor winced "Oh, but you didn't say it...like that. Please, tell me you didn't use those words."

Blake bumped Carter playfully as the two approached their sister on their break "Hey, you okay?" She asked, concerned at the look on Taylor's face.

Taylor nodded "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just not really in the mood for yogurt." She said before getting up and walking away.

"Oh, hey, come on." Carter called, turning to follow her as Gabe stood up.

"No, don't worry, I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry." Taylor walking out he door and running down the street.

Gabe sighed as he sat back down "What was that about?" Blake questioned, hand on hip.

"She said she didn't like me." Gabe mumbled.

The sisters let out a sigh "I wonder why." Carter muttered.

"Break's over, back to your post." They heard Zubin call over.

The two sent Gabe a look before walking away "Come on, all three of you can't be mad at me." He called helplessly after them as they made their way to the tills.

Blake smiled at Zubin as she took over his till "Hi." She smiled, pressing in the customers order.

"That is a very styling cup of yogurt. What did you do there, layers?" Carter questioned her own customer as she tapped the screen "I'm gonna have to try that myself."

"Thanks, bye." Blake said, handing over the change "Here we go," she started seeing the tub overflowed with gummi bear "someone after my own-." She continued as she looked up "Heart." She choked out.

Carter looked at her sister concerned as her customer walked away "Blake what's wr-" she gasped. "Mom." She whispered as the woman looked between the two girls, tears in her eyes. Her long dark hair, disguised with a short blonde wig, cut into a pixie cut.

Seeing Zubin look over as he wiped down a table nearby Blake opened her mouth "That'll be uh 4.80." She coughed.

Lori silently slid a 10 dollar bill across the counter. The sisters choked, trying to keep their tears at bay as the saw "LOVE YOU MORE!" scrawled across it in black ink.

"Not possible." They whispered, lips trembling as they looked up at her.

"Yes, possible." Lori assured.

"Mom-" Carter started lost for words.

"I'm sorry." She told the two.

Sirens sounded as police cars pulled up outside the shop "Um, back here." Blake started pulling Lori with her out the back, Carter following behind "Put this on." She said handing her mother an apron and visor.

"Blake, Carter, I'm sorry." Lori apologised.

"All right, look. Take these free samples and- and just walk out the front door." Carter told her, handing over a tray filled with yogurt.

"Girls. Girls." Lori tried to explain.

"They'll be watching the back." Blake interrupted, knowing they didn't have time.

"There are things you don't know. Things you should know." Lori said as she tied the apron behind her back.

"Mom, you have to go." Blake pleaded pulling her mother back into the shop.

The three freeze as they saw Elizabeth get out of her car. Carter pushed Lori forward "Mom, go."

"I'll be back." She promised the two before walking towards the door.

The sisters held their breath as a Lori walked through the door just as Elizabeth stormed through with a group of policemen behind her "Go, go, go, go." She called into her radio.

"Start over there let's move it." A cop instructed pointing to the windows.

Elizabeth approached her daughters "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Carter played innocent.

"Carter, this place is surrounded with police. I promise you, Lori Stevens is not going to get away."

Blake frowned "You need this many people to catch her? She's not exactly Lara Croft. The woman can barely throw a frisbee."

Carter smiled "But it was fun to watch her try."

"Dad, what's going on?" Gabe questioned, gaining the girls attention.

"The less you know, okay." A man answered and the sisters where quick to recognise him.

"Hey! That's the guy!" Blake exclaimed stepping forward.

Carter nodded "The one who was watching us."

"Come on, let's go." The cop said, pulling Gabe up by his arm.

"Who, my dad?" Gabe questioned frowning,

"That's your dad?" Carter questioned incredulously before turning to Elizabeth "You did have us followed."

Elizabeth sighed as she looked between her two frowning daughters "Girls-"

"You looked into my eyes and lied to my face." Blake interrupted, hurt.

"I did. I'm sorry, I was wrong." Elizabeth replied, face filled with shame.

Blake scoffed "No, you know what? You were right, Lori Stevens was here." She admitted shaking her head "She risked her life just so she could see us for five seconds."

"Just to tell us she loved us." Carter continued stepping closer to look Elizabeth in the eye as tears "Because she's our _mother_. And you've taken us away from her...You want to find our abductor?... It's you." She finished before grabbing Blake's hand. Elizabeth watched sadly after her daughters as they walked away, tears running down their faces.

"We're going to be okay, right?" Blake questioned.

Carter glanced over at her sister, eyes wet with tears "We're going to be just fine."


	6. Johnny Depp

Blake let out a puff of air as she fixed her hair in the bathroom mirror "Blake! Carter! It's time to go!" Sighing she made her way into her temporary shared room with Carter, once the attic was finished, she would be moving up there "Ready?" She asked with a laugh seeing her sister still in her pyjamas.

Carter smirked as she shoved a backpack into her closet. Blake had one just like it. They had their emergency bags ready to go at any time they felt they needed to bail. Carter hummed before grabbing a skirt and shoving into her satchel she would be taking to school.

Blake groaned as Elizabeth shouted for the two to hurry up again "C'mon, mother dearest awaits."

"Blake! Carter! They want to make me yell. I'm just giving them exactly what they want." Elizabeth shrugged at her spot at the kitchen door as the remainder if the family ate their breakfast.  
Taylor let out a scoff "Not what I want. If that still matters for anything around here."

"You know what? Bring that up at family therapy tonight." David grinned amused, looking away from the newspaper.

Taylor shook her head "The last thing I wanna do is spend another hour of my life talking about Carter... and Blake." The rest of the family noticed Taylor hesitance to add Blake but none of them knew why she was angrier at the elder sister.

David smiled "That's the whole point of family therapy. Finding Blake and Carter has made our lives very complicated." He started pulling off his glasses "This has been a tough month."

Grant smiled "I'm happy they're here. Blake likes my video games."

David chuckled, wrapping his arm around his son, placing a kiss on his head "We're all happy they're here."

"I'd be happier if they were here." Elizabeth's said pointedly, still waiting on her daughters to come downstairs.

"We are." Carter smirked.

"The party has arrived." Blake posed at the door frame earning a laugh from the boys and Carter and a quirk of the lips from Taylor.

Elizabeth only sighed at the two "Come on, we don't wanna be late."

Blake smirked as Carter lowered her satchel, allowing her family to see her outfit "Carter, you can't go to school in your pajamas." Elizabeth gaped.

Carter smiled "Why not?"

David chuckled when his wife turned to him for help "What difference does it make?"

Elizabeth sighed "Fine." She started grabbing her to go cup coffee "You take them." She smirked, making her way out the door.

David stood up to follow her "Uh, no, I can't, I've got that meeting in the city today. It's the editor of Vanity Fair."

Blake bumped Taylor's hip as she stood beside her earning a smile before grabbing an apple.

Taylor scoffed as she watched Carter pull a skirt out if her bag "So you never were gonna wear your pajamas to school."

Carter smirked as she shimmied the skirt over her pyjama pants "Nope."

Grant shared a grin of amusement with Blake, whilst their blonde sister narrowed her eyes "You did that just to annoy mom?" He asked curiously.

Taking a bite from her apple, Blake shook her head "Nope, she did that to distract her."

Carter smirked "This is what I'm doing to annoy her." She said, grabbing the set of keys from Elizabeth's bag "Do you guys want a ride?" She taunted, waving the keys.

Taylor pointed a finger at their older sister "Do not use her as a role model, Grant."

Carter smiled sarcastically as she stood up "Yeah, not when you've got so many other great options."

"Like me." Blake chirped, swinging her arm around Grant's shoulder "I'm awesome." The four siblings laughed together for the first time as they made their way out the back door.

* * *

Carter sat in class, chin resting in her palm as their teacher droned on "As you may know, the school is reevaluating its zero tolerance program. So, for the time being, we are reinstating our point system."

"Boo." Everyone but Carter hissed. She looked up seeing Gabe grinning at her and returned it with a small smile.

"Each one of you will receive this booklet. It's the list of infractions and the points you will receive as a result of those infractions. For example, miss Gilroy, eating in class, one point. Please put away that yogurt." The teacher instructed causing Carter to look over. An idea hit her as she watched the girl out her half eaten yogurt under her desk.

"When you have accumulated enough points, - you will begin to lose privileges." Carter gasped quietly "For example, five points, no pep rally." Attention was drawn to Carter as she hyperventilated "Ten points earns you cafeteria clean up. Fifteen points, Saturday detention."

At the sound of Carter's struggle, Gabe turned back and his brown eyes widened at her state "Mr. Sharkey." He called, shooting forward tic rough in front of Carter "I think she's having a panic attack."

"Yogurt." Carter gasped out.

"Does she want my yogurt?" The Gilroy girl questioned pulling it out from under her desk "She can have my yogurt?"

"It's my mom." Carter gasped.

Gabe widened his eyes in realisation "The last time she saw her mom, the kidnapper mom, was in a yogurt shop.  
She almost got arrested by my dad." He told his teacher.

"Take her to the office, have her call her parents." Mr Sharkey instructed frantically.

Gabe led Carter out of the classroom, supporting her with one arm, whilst his other held her jacket and their bags "I'll call your mom."

Carter pulled her jacket from his grasp. Standing straight she pulled it on "Don't bother."

Gabe frowned "Wait, so you're not-"

"And please stop calling Elizabeth my mom. She is she is not my mom." Carter interrupted skating her head.

"So you faked that whole thing." Gabe accused as he followed beside, the two making their way doesn't he empty hall.

Carter smirked "Well, not the part where I had to listen to you brag about how your dad almost arrested the "kidnapper" mom." She used air quotation marks before swinging her bag onto her shoulder "Please don't refer to her as that, she is just my mom."

Gabe smiled sheepishly "I'm sorry. It gets confusing sometimes."

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry... Well, thanks for getting me out of there."

Gabe grinned "So Bam, we just got a whole day off school. What do you wanna do?"

Carter shook her head "Gabe, I'm not spending the day with you." She denied.

Gabe frowned "Come on, I've got my car. We can go into the city. I'll take you to see the stairs from "The Exorcist."

"Gabe, I can't even say your name without Taylor going blech and walking out the room. If she finds out I spent the entire day with you, she'll kill me." Carter shook her head, stepping through the door to head outside.

"How would she find out? She'll never find out." Gabe asked just as a group walked by in their gym gear.

Carter sighed seeing her two sister walk amongst the group, playfully pushing each other before the blonde looked up and spotted her "Taylor."

Blake's eyes widened as she Carter and Gabe together. "Taylor!" She called as her blonde sister took off, but not before glaring at Carter. She sighed as she stepped in front of her sister "Shouldn't you be in class?" She asked, arms folded across her chest with a raised eyebrow.

Carter mocked her movement "Shouldn't you be in uniform, covered in sweat?" She asked referring to Blake still in her own clothes, obviously not having taking part in gym.

Blake shrugged "Told the coach I had my period, he choked on his whistle."

Gabe and Carter snickered "I faked a panic attack and Gabe here was asked to take me to the nurse."

Blake shook her head as the three made their way to lean against the rail that overlooked the courtyard. Seeing a group of people surrounding a boy as he gestured to a briefcase Bella pointed him out to Gabe "Who is that guy? I see him everywhere."

Gabe raised an eyebrow "Ofe, you never met Ofe?"

Carter scoffed "Ofe?"

Gabe grinned "Stands for "One Freaking Eyebrow."

Bella chuckled "What's his real name?"

Gabe shook his head "Nobody remembers. I don't even know if he remembers." He answered as the three made their way down the steps into the courtyard.

"Okay, so what you wanna do is you wanna, you wanna pick a date, okay, and then the buy-in's gonna be ten dollars. Winner takes home three grand." Blake overheard Ofe say as he looked towards another boy.

"What if a year goes by, and they don't catch her?" The other guy questioned as the three neared closer.

"Then we start a new pool, and the pot doubles." Ofe shrugged as the sisters stopped beside the table.

"Excuse me." Carter started getting the tables attention. Ofes head snapped up seeing the sisters looking at his briefcase. Panicked, he snapped it shut, closing the guys hand in it.

"Ow, man!" The guy groaned, pushing the case back open.

Ofe winced "Sorry, sorry."

Blake frowned as she looked back at the briefcase, a calendar and picture pasted inside the lid "That's my mom."

Ofe sighed as the boy stalked off, taking his money with him "I just lost a customer," he started spinning in his seat onto of the table to face Blake as she moved around with Carter and Gabs "not your fault." He gulped as he looked at her before his eyes trained on his friend "I do blame you, however, Gabe."

Gabe shrugged "I didn't know."

"Oh, you knew." Ofe scoffed as a girl sat down beside him.

"We decided not to tell him." She reminded Ofe.

Ofe nodded "Right, that is what we decided."

Gabe frowned "Tell me what?"

Ofe ignored him and turned back to Blake "I'm Ofe, by the way."

The other girl smiled "I'm Bird, we kind of met at that party. Remember, they're the ones that did that thing with the shot glass."

Ofe grinned "Shot glass, that was sweet. I love that, I could never I'm afraid of fire."

Blake was confused but slightly amused as Carter frowned "Why have you got a photo of our mom in your briefcase?"

Ofe sighed "This is my office." He pulled his briefcase forward "I make book, I take bets, sporting events mostly. Anything from high school matchups to pro ball, pretty much full service. I do straight, parlay, teasers, sides. I calculate my own spreads. If I may indulge in a little humblebrag, and from time to time, I come up with a fun novelty pool."

Blake crossed her arms "So you're taking bets on the date our mom gets arrested?"

Ofe sent her a guilty look "If it makes you feel any better, most people are giving her at least six months."

Gabe scoffed "You're an ass."

Ofe threw his arms up "I know, I'm sorry. I feel really bad."

"Maybe don't do the pool." Bird suggested.

"I don't feel that bad." Ofe muttered.

Blake sighed "Forget it. It doesn't matter, she promised us she'd be back." She gestured between herself and Carter.

"We shouldn't even be here." Carter added, grabbing Blake's hand and starting to walk away.

Gabe frowned after the two "Where are you going?"

Carter sighed as she stopped, causing Blake to do the same. The two turning back to look at the three that watched them "Somewhere we don't have to think about how much our life sucks now. If there even is such a place." Carter mumbled,

The three shared sad looks as the sisters continued to walk away before Bird was racing after them "There is." She said, grabbing Carter's arm "Come on."

* * *

Bird had led the group to her house. They're lakes around back to where there was two smaller building right beside each other. Blake's eyes widened as she took everything in "Wow, this is all yours?" She asked, looking around as Bird led them into the first building. The room was filled with canvases,

Bird nodded "A 16th birthday present from my parents. If there had been a card, it would've said, "we love you, now go away." This was supposed to be an art studio."

Ofe grinned as he looked at Blake "Now it's like the chocolate factory from Willy Wonka, only with booze and pot instead of everlasting gobstoppers."

Bird smirked "I have everlasting gobstoppers."

"So you're an artist?" Carter questioned, looking around.

"A great artist." Gabe answered and Bird ducked her head bashfully "She did the Alice in wonderland mural in the cafeteria."

Blake gasped, having admired it on her first day "Really? Woaw that's impressive, it's really amazing."

Bird smiled "Thanks."

"Face of the mad hatter, that's me." Ofe winked at Blake.

Bird scoffed "No, it's Johnny Depp."

Ofe groaned "God, would it kill you to one time say it's me?"

Bird laughed before leading Carter out the door. Blake smirked "I can totally see the resemblance." She winked at Ofe, patting his cheek softly before following after her sister.

Gabe snickered as he watched his friend gape after the girl "C'mon Captain Sparrow." He teased.

Ofe's mouth closed as his head snapped up to look at his friend "Man, I think I'm in love."

Gabe laughed as he wrapped his arm around Ofe's shoulder and pulled him along.

Blake whistled in approval as she looked around the other building taking in its colorful and comfortable decorations "Nice digs Bird."

Bird grinned as as she watched Blake plop down on the couch just as the boys arrived and took their own seats.

Carter smirked as she picked up a yellow foam finger, that gave anyone the bird "Hey, can I borrow this? We've got this family therapy thing tonight, and I think it can be very useful." She joked, taking a seat beside her sister.

Bird chuckled "Oh, family therapy, huh? We tried that once, me and my parents."

Blake raised an eyebrow "Really, did it work?"

Bird nodded "Oh, yeah, we're closer than ever. Sao Paulo is closer than Dubai, right?" She joked.

Gabe grinned "Ah, poor little rich girl."

"Smart, judgmental cop's kid." Bird retorted "Help yourself." Bird gestured sarcastically as Gabe threw a cheeto into his mouth.

Blake looked around the room once more "This place is bigger than the one we used to live in with our mom."

Carter chuckled as she nodded. Ofe frowned as he sat forward "Sorry about that stupid pool, Blake." The girl sent him a smile as Carter raised an eyebrow. Bird and Gabe snickered as Ofe caught on "Oh! And Carter." He sent a sheepish smile only getting a chuckle in return.

"I'm sorry you haven't heard from her." Bird said, looking between the sisters who gave her a small smile.

"No chance she'll come back to the yogurt store?" Gabe questioned.

Carter shook her head "No, I doubt it. Anyway, they fired us."

Blake smirked "Apparently, people don't like to be under police surveillance while they eat yogurt." The group chuckled.

Carter sighed "That's fine, though, we know she'll get in touch."

Blake nodded "We just don't know how... the FBI's got everything but a camera up our asses."

"Screw the FBI." Ofe spoke up.

Gabe nodded in thought "We could, actually." Everyone looked to him in interest "It wouldn't even be that hard."

"What do you mean?" Carter questioned.

"So they're stalking your phone, right? In case your mom sends you a message." When the sisters nodded he continued "So we get your mom I mean, us pretending to be your mom to text you."

Ofe snapped his fingers in realisation "With burner phones."

Gabe nodded, a smile plastered on his face "Cheapo phones with prepaid minutes. You can get 'em pretty much anywhere."

"Including right here." Ofe said pulling one from his pocket "It's a side business, I also sell glow sticks. I do very well at parties." Blake grinned, completely amused at the boy as he beamed at her.

Bird nodded whilst Gabe ripped open the phone "Okay, so what should the message be?"

"Something a mother would say to her daughters." Gabe answered, tossing the girl the phone.

Blake and Cater shared a look "We know what it would say." Carter started.

"Love you more." Blake whispered.

Bird nodded "Love you more." She repeated as she typed. Everyone listened as a beep sounded, signalling the message was sent. They stayed still as two more beeps surrounded as the sisters each pulled out their phones, message received.

Gabe smiled "Phase one complete."

* * *

"Elizabeth, I believe there was something you wanted to say to Carter." The family therapist said.

The mother took a deep breath "I was really angry today when I found out that you went through my bag and had taken my car keys. I reacted immaturely. I went into your room, and I looked through your closet, and I found something. I found the backpacks, yours and Blake's. They're packed like you're ready to run away. I can't do that again. I can't come home one day and find out that you're both gone. Please, give me a chance."

The therapist smiled "How was that, Elizabeth?"

"Not so bad." Elizabeth admitted looking towards the large empty chair "I've always been able to talk to Carter when she wasn't there."

* * *

"If we want them to come to therapy, we can't get mad at them for not coming to therapy." David told his wife at breakfast the next morning as he poured milk into his coffee.

"I wasn't going to." Elizabeth denied.

Everyone looked up as Blake and Carter entered the kitchen "Morning, sunshines." David greeted with a bright grin.

"Did you borrow my car or just steal it?" Elizabeth interrogated. David sighed as the sisters shared a look "I'm only asking because it isn't here."

Carter grinned as she held up the foam finger in answer. Elizabeth gasped "Carter, get that out of here! Your 12-year-old brother is in the room."

Carter scoffed as Blake grabbed the jug of orange juice and poured two glasses for them "Oh, come on, has he never been to a sporting event?"

Grant shook his head "Not many." He admitted making David chuckle.

"It's a joke, it's a toy." Carter told Elizabeth,

Elizabeth shook her head 'No, you know very well what it is, it's an obscenity."

Blake groaned quietly "From, like, the 1970s, geez."

"Glad I didn't bring it to family therapy last night." Carter added, taking a sip of her juice.

"No, instead, you both just decided not to show up." Elizabeth retorted making everyone go quiet "Kids, you're taking the bus this morning."

Grant and Taylor groaned as David frowned "The bus? I was gonna take them."

"I hate the bus." Taylor complained.

Elizabeth shook her head "No, we have to deal with this." She gestured to her daughters.

Blake and Carter scoffed in sync "We're a 'this' now?"

Grant scooped his bag up from the ground "The bus is starting to look pretty good."

Taylor quickly nodded as the two stood up from the table "Yeah."

"You can borrow my headphones." Grant told his blonde sister.

"I have headphones."

Grant shook his head "Not like these." He told her, handing over large industrial orange headphones.

Blake sighed once the back door closed behind the two "Look, we're sorry, we were with friends," she started.

"We got a little drunk, and thought that neither of us probably shouldn't drive." Carter continued "Especially since it was your car."

Blake nodded "So we got Gabe to give us a ride."

David held a hand out and gestured to their daughters "See, they were being responsible."

"David. Carter stole my car keys out of my purse. They got drunk and skipped a therapy session that we desperately need, and now this is how they talk to me? How does any of this qualify as being responsible?" Elizabeth retorted angrily.

David sighed "You're right, it doesn't."

Elizabeth tapped the foam finger that sat in the counter "I just want this thing out of my house."

"That seems kind of fair." David shrugged, looking towards Carter.

With a nudge from Blake, Carter let out a sigh "Okay."

A horn honked outside "That's Gabe, we asked him to give us a ride." Blake said, grabbing her bag.

Carter waved the foam finger at their parents "It's leaving the house, as you requested." She teased closing the font door behind her.

"She put it on my car, didn't she?" Elizabeth questioned instantly as David looked out the glass panel of the door.

"No." David answered.

Elizabeth gaped "No? - Oh, I'm surprised."

David chuckled "Yeah, me too. Maybe she actually feels bad about it."

Blake and Carter chuckled as they shared a high five before buckling their seats belts. Gabe joining in as he admired the foam finger pinned right on the Wilson's front door.

* * *

Blake hummed as she entered the kitchen "Hey." She smiled at Taylor who was preparing food.

Taylor smiled back as Blake opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water before pulling her self up on to the counter, resting her head against the cupboard door behind her.

"Hey." Carter greeted walking in, "What's for dinner? I'm starving." She said hopping up onto the island beside the food as Taylor chopped.

"Tilapia with ginger and garlic." Taylor answered.

Blake's eyebrows furrowed "Tilawhat?"

Carter chuckled "Cool, as long as it's not fish."

"It's fish." Taylor dead panned.

Carter threw her head back with a groan "Taylor, we have our entire lives to eat fish and steamed veggies.  
We have this tiny, tiny window where we can eat onion rings and milkshakes and-"

"Ugh I so want onion rings and a milkshake right now." Blake interrupted, moaning at the thought.

Blake's head focused as the back door closed "Hey." Elizabeth greeted, walking into the room "What smells so good?"

"Fish." Taylor smiled.

Carter threw her hands up once again "Oh, see? Fish can never be the answer to, "mmm, what smells so good?"

Elizabeth smiled "Well, I hope we have enough for one more because I brought home a guest for dinner."

"Well, there's plenty because I'm going out to eat." Carter shrugged hopping off the counter befrie spinning and letting out a gasp "Max!" Blake's head shot over and a grin took over her face as she squealed and hopped off the counter and sprinted across the room.

"What are you doing here?" Carter questioned as he released her before opening his arms from Blake to jump into and giving her a tight squeeze.

"I don't care why he's here, just that he is." Blake chuckled as he ruffled her hair.

"Uh, Max, you should meet the rest of the family. This is Taylor, uh, Blake and Carter's triplet sister."

Taylor smiled "Hi."

"Hey." Max waved turning away from Blake.

"And Grant, Grant?!" Elizabeth called. Grant shuffled into the kitchen only to be pulled into Elizabeth's side "This is Grant, their brother."

"Dude." Max greeted, giving him a fist bump.

Grant smiled "What's up?"

Elizabeth walked into the hall "David!" She called before stepping back into the kitchen when she got no response "Well, he's probably working, that's my husband, he's a writer. I invited Max to stay for a couple of days."

Blake and Carter grinned "You did?"

Elizabeth smiled "Yes, I thought you'd enjoy it. You cleared it with your folks, right?" She questioned Max.

he nodded with a smile "Yeah, I don't think they believe me, though. Cops don't usually bring me home." Carter chuckled "To their home...They don't bring me to their home." He corrected making Blake smile amused.

Carter frowned "I'm confused, this morning you were mad at us."

"No, I wouldn't call that mad." Elizabeth waved off.

Blake pursed her lips "Okay, I really would."

Carter turned to Max "So what, then, she just invited you here?"

Max nodded as David entered the room "Yeah, you know, like, invitation... subpoena." Blake shook her head as she looked up at Elizabeth.

David raised an eyebrow "What's going on?" He asked Grant.

The boy sighed as he waved his hand and gestured forward "The usual."

"Okay, now I get it." Carter nodded.

Elizabeth shook her head "No, you don't, let me explain."

Blake sighed "Yes she does. We both do. You didn't bring him here for us. You brought him here for you."

Carter nodded "You see, it's not enough that you're already listening into all of our phone calls and checking our emails. Now you have to plant our friends in our home to spy on us." She sighed as turned to Max "Come on, we're leaving." She muttered before starting to pull him to the back door.

Max smiled awkwardly "Nice meeting you all," he started before waving at David "I'm Max."

"David." He waved with a small smile.

"You know what? Now would be the perfect opportunity to put a bug our my room." Carter told Elizabeth before heading out the door.

Blake sighed as she looked to her blonde sister "Sorry about dinner Taylor." She apologised getting a small, sad smile in return before she made her way it Max who waited by the door for her "See you guys later," she muttered as Max grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door.

Carter smiled as Blake closed the door "Let's go to Bird's."


	7. Circus Freaks

**_A/N Completely unedited and very sorry for the layout but the spacing is not working properly for me!_**

* * *

"So how long you gonna be here?" Gabe questioned Max, as the group watched him look around Birds room.

Max turned to the boy and shrugged "Uh, not sure. Not like I brought a lot of clean clothes." He answered, taking a seat on a bean bag beside the couch allowing Carter to rest her legs in his lap "But I did bring a lot of dirty ones. Man, I got this fat pile of dirty dinghies in the back seat of my car, it's stinking." he admitted and Blake shared an amused look with Ofe "Can you recommend a good laundromat?" he asked Gabe.

Blake snickered from her space in the middle of the couch between her sister and Bird whilst Carter looked at the boy "Max, you can do your washing at our place."  
Max smiled at the sisters "Bonus."

Gabe shook his head confused "What about school and- You go to school, don't you?"

"Uh, oh, yeah, um," Max frowned "There's been some confusion about my grade, which grade I'm in, so I kind of been home schooling... without the schooling." Blake grinned behind her cup that Bird had poured for her "Man, I already got interrogated today by her mother."

Bird chuckled "His dad is also a cop."

Blake hummed as she took a sip "Yeah, actually his dad is the one who tailed us when we paid you a visit."

Gabe looked to Max "Nobody will be following Carter or Blake after my little FBI sting."

Bird smiled "We're sending them texts from burner phones to make it look like they're coming from their mom."

"Oh." Max nodded "Uh-huh, okay." He turned to Gabe "How's that going?"  
Gabe smiled proudly "It's phase two, now we find out." He held a hand out as he turned to Ofe "I need a new phone."  
Ofe sighed as he pulled one out of his bag "Last one, then you gotta start paying, I'm not Amazon."  
"I get it, I get it." Gabe nodded.  
The Stevens sisters shared a silent chuckle before Blake looked at Ofe "Thanks for all your help, we owe you."  
Ofe nodded quickly "Yep, no, anytime. On the house."  
Bird and Carted shared a smirk as Gabe looked at him with a raised eyebrow "What happened to 'I'm not Amazon'?"  
Ofe shrugged as he looked from Blake to Gabe "You don't look like _that_ man."  
The group all laughed before Gabe shook his head, getting back to the task at hand "You all free tomorrow after school?"

"Yup." Bird confirmed, popping her lips.  
Carter nodded "Yup."  
Blake shrugged "I suppose I could move some things around."  
Carter snorted as she playfully shoved her sister "Shut up, everyone you know is in this room."  
Max grinned lazily at the sisterly interaction before nodding at Gabe "Always."  
Gabe smiled "Good." He turned his attention to the phone, typing out a message.  
Bird grinned "What are you writing?"  
"Don't worry," Gabe smiled "I got this, I know how cops work. They like to solve things, figure stuff out."  
"Like Batman." Ofe nodded.  
Blake pointed at him "Yes, and the Riddler."  
Ofe held a hand to his heart as he looked over at her "What are you doing to me?"  
Carter grinned between the two before flicking her sisters nose "Dork."  
"Bitch." Blake returned the action, a smile on her face.

* * *

Detective Kyle Medeiros led Elizabeth Wilson into an office at the station where they were called to meet about new information "Captain?" The woman questioned upon seeing the two male officers sitting at a table.  
The police Captain stood "Detective Wilson," he gestured to his companion "this is Grady Smith from the FBI felony kidnapping unit."  
Elizabeth frowned as she shook his hand "Kidnapping unit, what's happening?"  
"Blake and Carter have been getting a series of texts from untraceable numbers." he answered "We think it could be coming from their kidnapper." He led them to a tv screen, connected to a laptop "Now one by one, they don't make any sense. Then I line 'em up." the groups of four watched as the words rearranged themselves "  
Kyle pointed at the screen "First word of every sentence."  
Elizabeth pursed her lips "Mm-Hmm, food court mall, 4:00 P.M today."  
"It's a pretty basic code, we're obviously not dealing with a criminal mastermind here." Kyle commented, shaking his head.  
The Captain turned to Elizabeth "All sent within the last 24 hours."  
Agent Smith nodded "We got undercovers in place already."  
"We've already got eyes on everyone going in or out." the Captain added.  
Elizabeth looked to her boss "Captain, I have to be there."  
He immediately shook his head "Detective, we need you to keep your daughters in your sight."  
The woman's eyes were pleading as she looked over at him " I can get my husband to pick them up-"  
"I'm giving that job to you." He denied  
Kyle turned to his colleague "I'll be there." he assured.  
The Captain nodded '"And I'll be there. We've got this covered, I assure you. We will catch this woman. You just take care of your daughters." He lat her on the shoulder before making his way out of the room, Agent Smith following after.  
"Kyle, help me, please, I have to be there." Elizabeth pleaded.  
He let out a sigh "You heard what the captain said." he frowned sympathetically "Hey, I'm not gonna let you lose Blake and Carter again."

* * *

The car tires squealed as Elizabeth pulled up outside the front doors of Benjamin Harrison High School. Unbuckling her seatbelt she climbed out, looking around for her daughters. Spotting Taylor she quickly made her way over "Hey. Where's Blake and Carter?"  
Taylor scoffed "You don't actually think Carter's been coming to school, do you?"  
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth frowned.  
Taylor rolled her eyes "Carter's got everyone thinking she's got post traumatic stress disorder, and they send her home. She told them she needed Blake today to help her through it, they pulled her out gym earlier."  
Elizabeth's eyes widened at the revelation, she swiftly turned in her heals and ran back to her car. Taylor frowned confused as she watched her mothers retreating back "Mom!"  
Ofe smirked, cocktail stick between his teeth as he leant against one of the pillars at the front entrance. He turned his head to the right spotting Gabe and Bird standing by the pillar parallel. Gabe gave the boy a head nod, and the three stepped out of the shadows together as Elizabeth started the police sirens and took off.  
"That's our cue." Gabe commented "To the mall!"  
Ofe and Bird shared a grin as Gabe ran ahead "To the mall!"

* * *

Elizabeth burst through the door of her house, thundering up the stairs. She made her way to Carter's bedroom where both she and Blake were residing in for the time being. Looking around the empty room, she felt lost until she remembered about the girls backpacks. The ones they kept on standby, ready to go if they ever needed to leave at a moments notice. Running over to the closet, her heart fell to the pit of her stomach as she found both bags gone "No, no...please God no!" She pleaded in a broken whisper. Standing, she ran out of the room. Pulling her cell from her pocket she dialed Kyle before rushing down the stairs.  
David frowned confused as he stood by the living room doorway, watching his wife rush past "What's going on?" He shrugged as Elizabeth never answered, only hopping back into her car.  
Blake and Carter came from behind and stood on either side of their father. Carter looked up, taking a bite from her fresh red apple as she did so "What's going on?"  
David shrugged "That's what I wanted to know." He frowned "We have apples?"  
"Yeah." Blake confirmed earning his attention.  
David raised an eyebrow "You not want one?"  
"Nah." Blake shook her head "Couldn't find any peanut butter to go with it."  
David sighed in realisation "She keeps it in the fridge."  
The sisters shared a look "That's weird."  
David chuckled as the pair turned on their heels and walked back into the living room in sync "Yeah."

* * *

Elizabeth's heart was hammering in her chest as she ran towards the food court at the mall, she sighed as she spotted the Captain and Kyle looking at her in exasperation as she approached. She held her hands up in surrender "I know, I'm sorry, captain, I'm sorry, but they're not at school, and they're not at home, and their escape backpacks are missing."  
The Captain frowned in defeat "All right, you're here." Elizabeth sighed in relief "We've got every possible access covered. you two eyeball this crowd."  
As Kyle and Elizabeth made their way through the seating area,they searched the faces for signs of Lori or the girls. Neither of the adults spotted Gabe, Bird and Ofe smirking at a nearby table "On three." Gabe instructed.  
Kyle shrugged as he met Elizabeth in the centre "They're not here."  
"I don't know Kyle," she sighed "Something doesn't seem right."  
Ofe raised a flashlight and shone it in sporadic flashes, as Bird readied her phone to record. All at once, the crowd in the food court brought out middle finger foam fingers, the same as the one Carter borrowed from Bird and waved them in the police duos direction. Ofe and Gabe shared a fist bump as the two and Bird grinned, proud the plan had all successfully come together,  
Elizabeth felt suffocated as she was surrounded by the metaphorical message from her daughters. The police Captain approached the pair, looking critically at the crowd before focusing on his blonde employee "Looks like this message was meant for you. Good you were here to get it."

* * *

Blake laughed with Carter as the pair sat on their bed, the laptop between them. Carter gasped "Max. Max, come here, this is the best thing ever."  
Max smiled as he sat down in front of the sisters "Everything to you is the best thing ever." Carter spun the laptop round so he could see the screen "What is it?"  
Blake cracked a grin "Okay, so Elizabeth thinks we're meeting our mom in this food court, and she's looking around."  
"And she's looking around." Carter chuckled, taking over as they pointed to the video Bird had uploaded to Youtube "Am I right, isn't that the best thing you've ever seen? Wait, wait, wait, this is my favorite part, it's my favorite part, look at her face, look at her face, look at her face." Carter cackled.  
Max frowned "She looks so sad."  
Blake groaned "Oh c'mon, please don't feel sorry her."  
"Max. This woman, the whole entire reason you're even here is because she is obsessed with the idea of putting our mom in jail." Carter reminded the boy.  
Blake threw her hands up in frustration "You would think she could just be happy she has us back but nothing we do is right."  
Carter nodded "She so focused on finding our mom, I mean why not focus on us and leave our mom alone." She let out a sigh "We love our mom, more than anything or anyone in the world and we live with someone who would kill her if she could."  
Blake sighed "But she can't, but what she can do is put her away for 20 years. Elizabeth didn't go to that food court for us, she went for our mom. She knows how much it would kill us to lose her but she doesn't care, nothing is going to stop her from trying her best to take her away."  
Max frowned "Hey look, I'm sorry." He apologised looking between the upset girls "I didn't think to look at it like that."  
Carter sighed as Blake put her head on her shoulder "Yeah, well that's the problem nobody does."  
"So, then you gotta tell them." Max shrugged.  
Blake frowned "When are we supposed to do that?"  
"Every conversation I've ever had with Elizabeth is her telling me what I've done wrong." Carter groaned.  
Blake sighed "She doesn't care, as soon as we mention the name Lori, she'll flip. Our opinions don't matter to her."  
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Max disagreed "I mean, when she was interrogating me, she never asked me a single question about Lori. All she wanted was to talk about you guys."

* * *

"So, how does this work?" Carter questioned as she and Blake sat squashed together on an arm chair at their very first family therapy session.  
Blake licked her slightly chapped lips as she frowned "Aren't we supposed to lie down on those little couches?"  
Taylor smiled as Carter, Grant and David chuckled. Elizabeth remained stoic as the therapist gave the sister's a smile "If you find a space, you can sit anyway you like." She told the youngest daughter "We only do two things in here. We speak, and we listen." she looked to Carter "Would you like to go first?"  
Taylor rolled her eyes "Who didn't see that coming?"  
The therapist turned to the blonde "And when we speak, we do it so everyone can hear."  
Carter gave an awkward quirk of her lips "You can go first."  
"No, clearly the doctor finds you much more fascinating than me." Taylor retorted before looking between Carter and Blake "The only fascinating thing about me is that I'm your sister."  
Blake frowned "That's not true Taylor... Besides the only thing anyone in this town knows about us, is that we were kidnapped."  
"It's the only thing they care about knowing." Carter agreed.  
David sat forward, looking at his brunette daughters "What would you like us to know?"  
Carter scoffed "Well, we're trying to figure that out ourselves."  
The therapist tilted her head "Can you talk a little more about that?"  
Carter let out a sigh "Well it's hard because we have to do it with everyone watching us."  
Blake shared a look with Carter before frowning softly "We feel like-" she sighed "It's like I'm a lion."  
Everyone frowned confused except for Carter who sighed "I feel like some elephant who accidentally got assigned to the penguin house."  
"It's so obvious that we don't belong." Blake frowned "But people keep coming up to us with their little clipboard and saying 'Hmm, according to this, you're, uh, you're actually penguins'."  
Grant raised his hand from his chair beside Blake "Actually, I also feel like that except in my version, I'm an Armadillo and they're giraffes." he turned to his brunette sisters "At least, the penguins can see the lion and elephant but they don't even know I'm down there."  
Blake grabbed her brothers hand and Elizabeth was the only one to raise her eyebrows in surprise at the action. Taylor frowned "I know you're down there."  
The therapist turned to the matriarch of the family "Elizabeth, you've been very quiet."  
The woman frowned looking over Taylor's head at her husband "Uh, it's just it's just hard to hear what terrible parents we've been."  
"Not him, you." Carter shook her head.  
Elizabeth gaped "What has he done that I haven't?"  
"Not critisized our every move?" Blake shrugged "Never looked me in the eye and lied right to my face."  
Carter nodded "He's not spying in us, he's not recording everything we say." She let out a sigh "And with him, we don't have to be in a room like this for him to listen to us."  
"We asked him not to write 'Finding Blake and Carter' and he isn't." Blake added as Carter grabbed the mans hand and gave it a squeeze, feeling grateful.  
Elizabeth scowled at her husband "Do you have to do that, rub it in my face?"  
"That wasn't even about you, that was about us and him." Carter frowned.  
Elizabeth shook her head "I've been married to this man for 17 years, Carter. You guys just met him. Yes, it was between the three of you, but it was also between him and me."  
The therapist cleared her throat "Let's open the discussion back up." She faced the sisters "I'd like to go back to what you were saying to your mother."  
Carter groaned "Please don't use that word."  
Blake frowned "Lori Stevens is our mother." She looked to Elizabeth when she flinched "I'm sorry that it hurts you, I really am but you can't expect us to just forget about her and start calling you mommy. She _raised_ us, she _loved_ us and, we love her."  
Carter looked to the therapist "Our mother is not here, we can't see her, we can't talk to her." She pointed to Elizabeth "She is not our mother, and she never will be."  
Carter glared at her "She is the person hunting our mother."

* * *

Blake groaned as she spotted a rip on the hem of her shirt, sighing she turned to Carter "Can you sew this back up please?"  
"Sure." Carter nodded, standing from her bed and holding out her hand.  
Blake peeled off her shirt off before handing it over with a grin "You're the best."  
"And everyone knows it." Carter chuckled, grabbing her small sewing kit and taking a seat at her desk. Blake grabbed a different shirt from the closet and pulled it on before flopping onto the bed with a sigh as Carter got to work. Both girls lifted their head as they heard a knock on the door. A smile crossed both of their faces as the door creaked open revealing Grant "Hey, Armadillo."  
Grant smiled at them speaking in sync as he took a seat beside Blake "Hey Lion, hey Elephant."  
Carter let out a small huff of laughter as she returned to Blake's shirt "Well, I guess that'll teach you to invite us to family therapy again."  
Grant shrugged "I think it could help."  
Carter smirked "Well, I can tell you that kind of stuff is a lot more fun when you're high."  
"Carter!" Blake laughed, tossing a small throw pillow at the back of her head.  
The brunette grinned over her shoulder at her younger siblings "Taylor's right, don't use me as a role model."  
Grant sighed as Blake lay back down "Last time, mo-" he paused "Elizabeth, made this whole speech to your empty chair. She described the day she came home you guys weren't there. It sounded pretty horrible."  
Blake gulped, keeping her eyes on the ceiling "It must've have been agonising."  
"And now she's afraid she'll have to go through it again." Grant added "Will she? Will I?"  
Carter froze, her sewing forgotten for a moment as she sighed "Grant, we don't know." She turned to him "We would tell you if we did. But the not knowing is just as hard for us."  
Grant frowned "But you want to go right? If Lori showed up."  
Blake sat up looking down at him as she sighed "She's our mom Armadillo."  
"And I'm your brother." He shot back, looking between the two "And Taylor's your sister, and you have a dad now." Blake frowned sadly, looking down at her fingers in her lap at the bought of leaving them behind "That's not enough for you is it? You'd still leave us."  
Blake licked her lips as she looked between her siblings "I don't want to leave you," she frowned before looking at Carter knowingly "but I don't think I could handle being apart from Carter, we've always been together."  
Grant sighed before looking to Carter who shook her head "I can't answer that."  
"You already did." He muttered before letting out another sigh "She found your escape backpacks. Elizabeth."  
"What?" Blake frowned, sharing a panicked looked with her sister.  
Carter scrambled from her chair and rant to the closet, tossing everything aside her heart dropped "They're gone." Blake's eyes widened as she rolled off the bed, kneeling beside her sister.  
Grant frowned "Guys wait-"  
"She took them." Blake muttered in disbelief.  
"This woman is insane." Carter breathed out "She is insane."  
Blake ran her hands down her face "She tells us she afraid we'll leave but does absolutely everything she can to push us away."

"She lies to us, she spies on us, she steals from us." Carter added before her jaw clenched "She has absolutely no idea what this might be like for us, and she is deliberately trying to make me mad. We'll guess what? It worked, I'm mad." She shared a smirk with Blake "And she is not gonna like me when I'm mad."

* * *

The Stevens sister had stormed out of the house and retreated to Birds. Blake watched, her head in Birds lap as Carter paced back and forth "I'll just try acting a lot more like Taylor, but not with the cooking or anything." She paused "Or maybe with the cooking, actually."  
"Nuh uh," Blake shook her head "Leave the kitchen to Taylor."  
Carter ignored her "But I'll just start being really like nice and polite, like I really want this to work." Ofe sent her a sarcastic grin, just wanting the girl to shut up "And then I'll just start doing little things like hiding her stuff, like her reading glasses or her driver's license or, ooh, her detective shield." he sent Blake a look, eyes leading her to make it stop "And then I'll, um, I'll just start cutting little holes in her clothes."  
"Carter?" Bird frowned "Have you ever heard the saying that holding on to anger is like swallowing poison and hoping the other person will die?"  
"No." Carter, Blake and Ofe said in sync.  
Bird grinned lazily, slightly buzzed from the alcohol she had passed out to the group of four "But you heard it right now. When I said it."  
Carter huffed as she lifted her sisters legs and sunk into the coach, placing them across her lap "What's your point?"  
"Okay," Bird smiled, sending a look to Ofe "well, how about instead of thinking about ways to make Elizabeth miserable, you find a way to make you happy."  
"Why take the long way, when's there's a shortcut?" Ofe questioned coming to sit in the table in front of the couch. He held up a small baggy filled with two small blue pills.  
"Molly?" Blake scoffed.  
Ofe looked down at her "You ever tried it?"  
"Nope." She shook her head.  
"I did it, once it was not for me." Ofe admitted "I was in much too good a mood for much too long a time." He passed Carter the bag "While you, on the other hand, have been unhappy for a while now. I just think you could use a vacation." He shrugged  
Bird looked at her "And don't worry, it's very pure and very safe."  
Ofe nodded in confirmation "Yes, we get it from this guy, Crash. If drug dealers were on yelp, he would be getting five stars." He looked at Blake who raised an eyebrow amused "You now, for drug dealers." He told her "That's potentially a huge idea." He thought to himself aloud. Blake rolled her head to look up at Bird, both sharing an amused look.  
Carter sighed in defeat "I'm not taking it alone."  
There was no hesitation as Bird swooped over and grabbed one of the pills, popping it in her mouth "You won't."  
Carter chuckled before swallowing her own. She raised an eyebrow "So were are we going tonight?"  
Bird hummed "There's a party, come help me pick an outfit." She lifted Blake's head off her lap long enough to slide out from under before letting her head fall onto the cushion. She grabbed Carter's hand, pulling her from the couch as Blake tucked her legs up to give her room "Back in a few guys."  
Blake raised an eyebrow as she felt the sofa dip near her feet. Ofe silently grabbed her legs, pulling them over his lap. She frowned slightly "Why didn't you want me to have a vacation?"  
Ofe looked down at her confused "What?"  
She let out a sigh before biting her lip "You said you wanted Carter to have a vacation because she's been upset lately... well so have I, so why? Do you not want me to be happy?"  
Ofe didn't answer straight away, instead he grabbed her hands, pulling her into an upright position, her face inches from his "I do want you to be happy Blake..." He let out a sigh, an uncharacteristicly serious expression on his face as his breath fanned over her face "I want to make you happy and know it was because of _me_ , not because of the drugs I gave you."

* * *

After Bird was changed, Gabe came by to pick the group up. The five entered the packed out building, grinning at the music and dancing bodies. As the three girls danced on top of a table, Ofe and Gabe slunk to the sidelines. After slipping a customer his drugs, Ofe pocketed the cash before turning to Gabe "I hate to say it man, but I think you're gonna have to take no for an answer." He told he boy, seeing him admire Carter.  
"I can't." Gabe protested.  
"You can't?" Ofe scoffed "There's a million chicks who'd love to go out with you."  
Gabe sighed "They're not her."  
"I wish I had your problems." Ofe muttered.  
Gabe raised an eyebrow at his friend, tearing his eyes away from Carter "Do you? Or do you just wish Blake was into you?"  
Ofe sent him a look before sighing "She'd never to for me. She's t-" he trailed off as he turned back to the girls only to find them down by one "Where did Blake go?"  
Gabe frowned as he looked around before spotting her being handed a drink "Over there."  
Ofe followed his friends finger before slumping at the sight. The Stevens girl was smirking up at a tall boy, his black hair swooped across his forehead. His grey tshirt, stretched tight across his muscles, a half sleeve peeking out from underneath. "See man, that's the kind of guy that gets a girl like Blake."

* * *

Taylor slowly approached the front door of the party, Max trailing behind her. Elizabeth had found out about the party after Carter had sent her a selfie by the keg out front and so sent her blonde daughter to bring her sisters home. Max had come along for moral support and because he was concerned about his friends. Taylor's eyes widened as she spotted a now alone Carter dancing on the table "Now I'm supposed to tell her she's grounded? I love the job of nerd sister."  
Max snorted "Yeah, she probably won't be ready to leave for about six hours, my best guess." He looked around "I don't see Blake anywhere."

Taylor grimaced "My mom does not wanna hear that." She looked around trying to spot her younger sister "We need to find her."  
Carters eyes widened in glee as she spotted her ex boyfriend "Maximillian." She greeted jumping down from the table and wrapping him up into a hug "Maximillian." She laughed, jumping to wrap her legs around his waist." Carter smiled, her eyes glazed over as Gabe approached the three "Gabe."  
"Hi." He smiled down at the brunette before looking between the others "Ofe is trying to find Blake."  
"Blake." Carter gasped before giggling "I love Blake. It rhymes with cake." She smiled up at the boy "Hey."  
"Hey." He repeated chuckling,  
"I got you, Gabe." She sang.  
Gabe nodded "Anytime, anywhere."  
Taylor's eyes widened and Max looked away Carter pulled the boy into a heated kiss. The brunette giggled as she pulled away "Oops, I was not supposed to do that." She turned to Taylor seeing the disapproving frown she was receiving from her "Gosh, you look so much like Elizabeth when you pull that face." She pat Max on the chest "Doesn't she look like Elizabeth when she pulls that face?" she chuckled.

"Do you think this is cute?" Taylor frowned "This isn't cute, you're high. You're making a fool of yourself." Carter started to gasp for air, feeling her lungs constrict "I liked you better when I thought you were dead."  
Max was first to react when Carter suddenly dropped to the floor, catching her mid fall.  
"Very funny." Taylor rolled her eyes.  
Max shook his head as he tried to support his ex girlfriend "No, she's having a seizure." He looked at the party goers who had took notice of the situation "Hey, call 911!"  
"Somebody call 911!" Ofe suddenly shouted at the same time, running towards the group. Taylor gasped seeing Blake unconscious in his arms.  
"What the hell happened?" Max questioned, looking between his two friends, both needing medical attention.  
Ofe frowned seeing Carter seizing, guilt hitting him knowing she had a bad reaction to the drugs he had given her. He shook his head as he lowered Blake down beside her sister "There was this guy, he gave her a drink earlier. They ended up dancing," He clenched his jaw "I turned away for a second and they were gone. Something didn't feel right, so I went looking for her. Found her passed out in one of the bedrooms, the guy was trying to take her pants off."  
Taylor gasped, holding a hand to her mouth as she ran her fingers through Carters hair with the other, still feeling remorse for what she said "Oh my God!"  
Max frowned angrily "Where's the guy?"  
"Still in the bedroom." Ofe sniffed "I hit him over the head with a lamp, he's knocked out."  
Gabe pat Ofe on the back "Good save man."

* * *

Blake groggily blinked her eyes open, licking her lips, feeling the dry. She groaned, wincing at the sudden onslaught of light. Raising a hand to shield her eyes, she frowned feeling a tug and looked down seeing an IV inserted into the top of her hand "W-what?"

"You're in the hospital sweetheart." Her head shot up and she let out a groan as her head spun. After it passed, her vision focused seeing her father looking at her, a small frown on his face as he passed her a cup of water "Here, drink up."  
"What am I doing here?" She asked, taking a large sip. Her eyes widened as she spotted Carter lying unconscious in the hospital bed parallel to her "Carter? What the hell happened?"  
"You're awake!" Taylor gasped as she walked in, Elizabeth behind her, a black paper bag in hand.  
Blake smiled as Taylor sat on the end of her bed. Elizabeth took a seat in the arm chair between the two beds while David sat in the arm "Can somebody please tell me what happened?"  
Taylor frowned "At the party, Carter had a bad reaction to the drugs she took, she had a seizure." Blake's eyes widened as she looked over to her brunette sister.  
Elizabeth placed a hand on Blake's arm, sighing silently in relief when she didn't pull away "She's okay. She's going to be just fine."  
Blake closed her eyes in relief as she took a deep breath before frowning "Why am I here?"  
Taylor looked to her lap, while Grant shifted in his seat. David and Elizabeth shared a look before the latter turned to her youngest daughter "What can you remember from the party?"  
"Are you seriously going to interrogate right now?" Blake asked in disbelief.  
David pat her leg "Just answer the question, sweetheart."  
Blake let out a sigh, leaning back into the pillow "I remember dancing, first with Carter and Bird and then with this guy I met, Ryan. He literaly ran into me when I went to get a drink, so after he spilt mine he went and got me a new one. We started talking and then he asked me to dance."  
Blake frowned "I remember starting to feel funny, too hot. I wanted to go outside, get some air, Ryan said all the people outside smoking wouldn't help,my hat I needed to splash water on my face, cool me down a bit. I went to the bathroom upstairs because the other one was occupied. Other water didn't help, I just felt really tired, my head was all fuzzy. I needed to find Carter or Ofe or Gabe, somebody to take me home."  
She licked her lips "I uh, I opened the bathroom door and Ryan was there, I told him I was leaving, going to find my friends. He told me he had already got them when I went to the bathroom, said he was worried so they were waiting for me down the hall. It got harder to walk, my feet felt like lead, all I wanted to was to sleep." Blake shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing "They weren't there, when I tried to turn around Ryan pulled me into the closest room. I remember the bed, I was lying on it. I just wanted to close my eyes, but I need to find my friends. I tried to get up, but in just couldn't move."  
Blake gasped, feeling her stomach lurch "I felt him, he unbuttoned my pants, oh g-" she held a hand to her mouth "Did he..."  
Elizabeth gripped her daughters free hand "Nothing happened."  
She choked in relief as she closed her eyes. Taylor rubbed her knee "He roofed your drink. Ofe found you, knocked Ryan out before he could do anything else."  
A grin suddenly caught everyone's attention as they turned to the other Stevens girl who slowly blinked her brown eyes open. She looked around seeing the many balloons, cards and flowers surrounding her and her family "How long have I been here?" She frowned looking at Blake, seeing her matching hospital gown "How long have you been here?"  
"Three years." David answered, face solemn.  
Blake snorted as Carter's eyes widened "Three years?"  
Everyone smiled as David shook his head "I'm kidding." He let out a sigh "You've both been out for a while."  
"But not a come, right?" Carter frowned.  
David grimaced "Techincally, a coma."  
Blake was wide eyed "We were in comas?"  
"It was a little coma." David smiled "Just long enough to scare us all to death."  
Taylor smiled at Carter "What does all the fun stuff happen to you? Abduction, seizure, coma."  
Blake shrugged "Meh, two out three ain't bad."  
Carter let out a chuckle before frowning as she looked at Blake "Did you have a seizure too?"  
Blake gave her a sad smile "No sorry, that was all you." She sighed "A guy drugged my drink."  
Carter's eyes widened in realisation as she sat up "Holy- are you-?"  
"I'm fine." Blake assured, interrupting her sister "Apparently Ofe stopped the guy before he could try anything."  
Carter smiled "We really do owe him." She suddenly grimaced, flashbacks appearing in her mind "Oh no, I kissed Gabe, didn't I?"  
"Carter!" Blake groaned.  
Taylor nodded "Oh yes, you certainly did."  
Carter sighed "Taylor, I really don't like him."  
"Except you do." Taylor shrugged "Which is fine with me. Or it will be." She sighed "Just get better."  
David smiled as he stood "Let's let these two get some rest."  
"Because a comas worth of rest is not enough?" Blake returned with a raised eyebrow making the family laugh. David turned to his wife "I'll call your folks, let hem know the girls are up, check on Grant."  
"Thank you." Elizabeth sighed as she watched her husband and blonde daughter leave, shutting the door behind them as she stood. She tuned to face her brunette daughters "I'm not staying, but I, I just wanted to give you guys these." She admitted pulling the paper bag she had brought up onto Blake's bed. In each hand she held a stuffed toy. A lion and an elephant. She sent the pair a sheepish smile before making a squeak, as she raised the elephants trunk making the pair breathe out soft chuckles before she roared, making the sisters smile. Blake kept her smile as the woman handed her the teddy, it's fuzzy orange mane tickling her palm. Elizabeth frowned sadly as she tucked Carter's elephant onto her bed before silently leaving the room.  
Blake let out a sigh as she turned her head to her sister "Why does everything dramatic seem to happen to us?"

* * *

Blake woke up from a nap, finding Carter staring ahead. Frowning she followed her eyeline before smiling softly. Grant was here and he was passed out in the arm chair. The pair shared a fond look before returning to watch their little brother only to find him running a hand down his face as he woke up. The pair smiled as he looked up at them "Hey, Armadillo."  
He beamed at the sight of the pair "Hey, you're up."  
"What are you doing here?" Carter whispered.  
Grant let out a sigh before moving to sit on the end of Carter's bed "I should've have told you this sooner. Because then maybe you guys wouldn't be here." He frowned and the sisters shared a confused look "Elizabeth didn't take you're backpacks. I did."  
Blake frowned "You did?"

"I didn't want you guys to leave." He groaned "But I really don't want you guys to get hurt or die. I just want you both to be someplace you're happy." He sighed "And I get that it's not here." He pulled the two bags from under the bed "I put a burner phone in each of these." He exhaled deeply as he looked each of them in the eye "So call me."  
Carter frowmed before pulling Grant into a hug. Blake sighed softly as she looked expectantly at her siblings after they pulled away from eachother "Well come on guys, you'll have to move over here, I'm attached to this little bag right here." She gestured to the IV drip above her "Come on, show me some love."  
Carter smiled as she slid out of bed before sliding in beside Blake's, cuddling into her left side. Blake pat the free space on her right, smiling softly at Grant "Come join the circus freaks Armadillo."  
Grant grinned as he made his way around the bed, resting his head on Blake's shoulder after he had settled in. The three sat in a content silence before Blake suddenly chuckled "Lions, elephants and armadillos, oh my!"  
Carter groaned as Grant laughed "Dork."  
Blake grinned lazily "Bitch."

* * *

Toby gasped as David approached the table in the restaurant they had agreed to meet in "David, oh, my God. A coma? How are they?"

David smiled "They're fine, absolutely fine."  
Toby sighed in relief "Oh, thank God that would not be good for anyone if Carter overdosed on drugs her first month home."  
David huffed "So what's the good word?"  
"What's the great word, you mean?" Toby frowned "People are loving, _loving,_ your sample chapter." He raised his hands "But now, between this YouTube video and the comas, oh."  
David chuckled "You ain't even heard our family therapy session."  
He set his dictaphone on the table between them " _She is not our mother, and she never will be. She is the person hunting our mother._ "  
Toby gaped as Carter's voiced filtered out "That's Eliza- she's talking about Elizabeth?" David nodded making Toby grin "This next book of yours, 'Finding Blake and Carter'. it's gonna be huge."


End file.
